English
existence
Existence comes from Old French existence, from Late Latin existentia, from Latin exsistō ‘to come forth, exist’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂tireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsistō‘to set, place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsistō‘to come forth; to exist’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsistēns‘existing’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEexistentia‘existence’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400existence
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1834same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂tireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsistō‘to set, place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsistō‘to come forth; to exist’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsistēns‘existing’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEexistentia‘existence’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400existence
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1834same form
Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “Fortunate it is for the tranquillity of the new-born…”
A compound of ex ‘out’ + sistere ‘to set, place’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs ‘out’
Proto-Italic *eks
Late Latin ex ‘out’
Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘stand’
Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up, to be getting up’
Proto-Italic *sistō ‘to stand’
Late Latin sistō ‘to set, place’
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-
Today it means
noun The state of being, existing, or occurring; beinghood.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / existence