English
epistemic
Epistemic comes from Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη ‘knowledge’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’root as named
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐπῐ́σταμαι‘to have knowledge’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπιστήμηepistḗmē‘knowledge’
- Englishearliest quotation 1981epistemic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’root as named
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐπῐ́σταμαι‘to have knowledge’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐπιστήμηepistḗmē‘knowledge’
- Englishearliest quotation 1981epistemic
Earliest quotation: 1981, Martin Warner, New York: “Professor [Richard] Boyd provides a powerful argument for the…”
The story
From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “knowledge; science”) + English -ic (suffix meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives from nouns) (compare modern Greek επιστημικός (epistimikós, “relating to science, scientific”)). Ἐπιστήμη (Epistḗmē) is derived from ἐπῐ́στᾰμαι (epĭ́stămai, “to have knowledge of, know”) (from ἐπῐ- (epĭ-, prefix meaning ‘all over; on, on top of’) + ῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ, “to stand; to weigh”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (‘to stand (up)’))) + -η (-ē, suffix forming action nouns).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
state, post, stay, rest, system, stand, distance, stadium, instance, assistant, constitution, stood, assistance, stable, contest, establishment, instant, establish, stability, destination, substance, consistent, assist, destiny, testimony, distant, resist, static, insist, stem, consist, prostitution, stud, stationary, persistent, stool, prostitute, substitution, extant, stale, 158 more
Today it means
adj Of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / epistemic