Etymograph

English

instant

Instant comes from Middle English instant, from Old French instant ‘at hand’, from Latin īnstāns ‘present, pressing’, from īnstō ‘to stand upon’ (in- + stō).

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstō‘to stand upon, be nearby’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstāns‘present, pressing, urgent’present active participle of īnstō
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400instant‘assiduous, at hand’
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘infinitely short period of time’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1905same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstō‘to stand upon, be nearby’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstāns‘present, pressing, urgent’present active participle of īnstō
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400instant‘assiduous, at hand’
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘infinitely short period of time’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1905same form

Earliest quotation: 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett: “Thy life is long, Eternity is short. So short…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’

system, state, post, stay, stand, stood, constitution, stadium, assist, contest, stable, stem, consistent, testimony, resist, destination, destiny, static, persistent, prostitution, consist, stud, prostitute, insist, persist, stool, substitution, armistice, attest, restitution, subsistence, steadfast, stale, stead, testimonial, solstice, destitute, astute, desist, stow, 143 more

through Proto-Italic *staējō

establishment, 17 more

through Proto-Italic *staēō ‘to stand’

arrest, establish, stability, stationary, restive, distantly, 18 more

through Latin stō ‘to stand’

rest, stage, station, distance, substance, distant, distal, oust, extant, obstetric, 27 more

Another origin of instant

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstō‘to stand upon, press upon, urge, pursue, insist’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstāns‘standing by, being near, present, also urgent, importunate’present participle of īnstō
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentinstant‘pressing, insistent’
  9. Englishtodaysame form

Today it means

noun A very short period of time; a moment.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / instant

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