Etymograph

English

obstetric

Obstetric comes from Latin obstetricus ‘belonging to a midwife’, from obstō ‘to stand before’, 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‘stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstō‘to stand before’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstētrīx‘midwife’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstetricus‘belonging to a midwife’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2020obstetric

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‘stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstō‘to stand before’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstētrīx‘midwife’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstetricus‘belonging to a midwife’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2020obstetric

Earliest quotation: 2020, Helen Lewis, The Coronavirus Is a Disaster for Feminism: “For Wenham, the most striking statistic from Sierra Leone,…”

Linked words

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

state, post, system, stay, stand, assistant, stadium, assistance, constitution, stood, stable, assist, consistent, contest, destination, destiny, resist, testimony, stem, insist, consist, static, persistent, prostitution, stud, persist, stool, prostitute, stale, stamina, substitution, restitution, armistice, attest, desist, stow, steadfast, stasis, testimonial, stead, 139 more

through Proto-Italic *staējō

establishment, instability, 13 more

through Proto-Italic *staēō ‘to stand’

arrest, establish, stability, stationary, instantaneous, distantly, restive, instantiation, 15 more

through Latin stō ‘stand’

rest, stage, station, distance, instance, instant, distant, substance, extant, distal, 26 more

through Latin obstō ‘to stand before’

oust, 1 more

Today it means

adj Of or relating to obstetrics (the care of women during and after pregnancy).

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

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

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