English

gainstand

Gainstand comes from Middle English gainstanden.

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

Earliest quotation: 1856, John Knox: “And you, now last in accusing us of these…”

Formed from gain- + stand

Proto-Germanic *gagin ‘towards, against’

Proto-West Germanic *gagin

English gain-

Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’

Proto-Germanic *standaną ‘to stand’

Proto-West Germanic *standan ‘to stand’

Old English standan ‘to stand’

Middle English stonden ‘to stand’

English stand

Every English word from Middle English gainstanden

verb To stand against; resist, oppose; withstand.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.