English
instance
Instance comes from Middle French instance, from Latin īnstantia ‘presence, urgency’, from īnstāns ‘urgent’, present participle of īnstō ‘to stand upon’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstō‘to stand upon; to press’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstantia‘presence; urgency’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600instance
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1594same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstō‘to stand upon; to press’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstantia‘presence; urgency’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600instance
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1594same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Comedie of Errors: “The reason that I gather he is mad, Besides…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
system, state, post, stay, stand, stood, contest, stadium, constitution, assistant, assist, consistent, stable, stem, testimony, resist, destination, destiny, persistent, static, prostitution, consist, stud, insist, prostitute, persist, stool, substitution, attest, restitution, stale, stead, testimonial, destitute, armistice, astute, desist, stamina, stow, solstice, 143 more
through Proto-Italic *staēō ‘to stand’
arrest, establishment, establish, stability, stationary, distantly, restive, 17 more
through Latin stō ‘to stand’
rest, stage, station, distance, distant, substance, distal, extant, oust, obstetric, 27 more
Today it means
noun Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request; insistence.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / instance