English
eustasy
Eustasy comes from German eustatische ‘eustatic’.
- Germanc. 1650–presenteustatische‘eustatic’
- Englishearliest quotation 1946eustasy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Germanc. 1650–presenteustatische‘eustatic’
- Englishearliest quotation 1946eustasy
Earliest quotation: 1946, The Journal of the Anthropological Insti: “The age of the dunal or other deposits, formed…”
A compound of εὖ ‘well, good’ + στάσις ‘standing’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁su- ‘good’
Proto-Hellenic *ehu- ‘good’
Ancient Greek ἐΰς ‘good’
Ancient Greek εὖ ‘well, good’
Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’
Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tis ‘standing, position’
Proto-Hellenic *státis ‘standing’
Ancient Greek στάσις ‘standing’
The story
A back-formation from eustatic (borrowed from German eustatische (‘eustatic’), from Ancient Greek εὖ (eû, “well, good”) + στάσις (stásis, “standing”)) + -y.
Every English word from German eustatische
Today it means
noun A worldwide change in sea level, especially one caused by melting ice or tectonic activity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / German eustatische / eustasy