Etymograph

English

instanter

Instanter comes from Medieval Latin īnstanter ‘immediately’, from Latin īnstāns ‘standing or pressing upon’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.

  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, set foot on’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstāns‘standing or pressing upon’
  8. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500īnstanter‘immediately’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1932instanter

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  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, set foot on’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnstāns‘standing or pressing upon’
  8. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500īnstanter‘immediately’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1932instanter

Earliest quotation: 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong: “They're another reason why I've got to get my…”

The story

Unadapted borrowing from Medieval Latin īnstanter (‘immediately’), originally “vehemently” in Classical Latin.

Linked words

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

post, system, state, stay, stand, stood, stadium, constitution, assist, stable, contest, resist, destination, consistent, testimony, stem, destiny, static, consist, prostitution, stud, insist, persistent, stool, prostitute, substitution, persist, armistice, restitution, stale, solstice, attest, stamina, desist, subsistence, stow, steadfast, testimonial, stead, destitute, 142 more

through Proto-Italic *staējō

establishment, instability, 16 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

Today it means

adv immediately; instantly; without delay.

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

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

Shirt and support for this word