English
distance
Distance comes from Latin distantia ‘distance, remoteness’, from distāns ‘standing apart’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistō‘to stand apart; to be distant’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistāns‘standing apart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistantia‘distance, remoteness’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400distance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1551same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistō‘to stand apart; to be distant’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistāns‘standing apart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistantia‘distance, remoteness’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400distance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1551same form
Earliest quotation: 1551, Thomas More, Ralph Robinson]: “[N]other perceaueth the concordaunt and diſcordante diſtaunces of ſoundes,…”
The story
Distāns is the present active participle of distō (‘to be distant; to stand apart; to differ’), from dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, asunder; in two’) + stō (‘to stand’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (‘to stand (up)’)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
system, state, post, stay, stand, constitution, stood, contest, consistent, destination, stable, assistant, stadium, stem, assist, testimony, destiny, resist, static, insist, persistent, prostitution, consist, stud, prostitute, stool, substitution, persist, attest, restitution, stamina, stale, stead, testimonial, destitute, astute, stow, solstice, armistice, detest, 142 more
through Proto-Italic *staējō
through Proto-Italic *staēō ‘to stand’
arrest, establishment, stability, establish, stationary, instantaneous, restive, instantiation, 17 more
through Latin stō ‘to stand’
rest, stage, station, instant, instance, substance, extant, oust, obstetric, 28 more
Today it means
noun An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / distance