existentialexistential

The story

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Late Latin existentiālis, exsistentiālis (‘coming into or relating to existence’) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives; and forming nouns of verbal action). Existentiālis, exsistentiālis are derived from Late Latin existentia, exsistentia (‘existence’) + Latin -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); and existentia, exsistentia from Latin existēns, exsistēns (‘being, existing; appearing, emerging; becoming’) (the present active participle of existō, exsistō (‘to be, exist; to appear, emerge; to become’), from ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’) + sistō (‘to cause to stand; to place, set; to halt, stop’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (‘to stand (up)’))) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns).