English
persistent
Persistent comes from Latin persistō ‘continue steadfastly’, from sistō ‘to cause to stand’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sistō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsistō‘to cause to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersistō‘continue steadfastly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersistentempresent participle of persistō
- Englishearliest quotation 1992persistent
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sistō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsistō‘to cause to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersistō‘continue steadfastly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersistentempresent participle of persistō
- Englishearliest quotation 1992persistent
Earliest quotation: 1992, Rudolf Mathias Schuster, Chicago: “The Jubulaceae have a leaf whose lobule, usually transformed…”
Equivalent to persist + -ent
Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘stand’
…
Proto-Italic *sistō ‘to stand’
Latin sistō ‘to stand’
Latin persistere
Middle French persister
English persist
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
state, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, stadium, instance, constitution, stood, stable, establish, stability, destination, substance, contest, destiny, instant, stem, testimony, distant, prostitution, stud, stationary, stool, prostitute, substitution, stale, stamina, extant, distal, attest, stow, metastatic, steadfast, stead, testimonial, destitute, stalwart, astute, 142 more
through Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up, to be getting up’
system, static, consistent, histone, stater, 34 more
through Latin sistō ‘to cause to stand’
assistance, assistant, assist, resist, insist, consist, solstice, armistice, desist, subsistence, existentialist, 7 more
Today it means
adj Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / persistent