English
state
State comes from Old French estat and Latin status ‘manner of standing, position, condition’, from Proto-Italic *status ‘setting up’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂tusreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*status‘setting up; position’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatus‘state, condition, position’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400estat‘state’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stat‘condition’
- Englishearliest quotation 1579state
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂tusreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*status‘setting up; position’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatus‘state, condition, position’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400estat‘state’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stat‘condition’
- Englishearliest quotation 1579state
Earliest quotation: 1579, Immeritô pseudonym; Edmund Spenser, September. Ægloga Nona.: “The ſhepheardes ſwayne you cannot well ken, / But…”
first attested The verb is first attested around the beginning of the 16th century (as stated in the etymology)
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
post, system, rest, stay, stand, distance, assistant, stood, assistance, instance, assist, stadium, establishment, consistent, establish, contest, destiny, stable, resist, stability, destination, instant, substance, testimony, insist, distant, consist, stem, persistent, stud, persist, static, stool, stationary, armistice, extant, stamina, solstice, stale, desist, 150 more
through Proto-Italic *status ‘setting up’
constitution, prostitution, substitution, prostitute, restitution, destitute, destitution, statuette, 5 more
through Latin status ‘state, status, condition’
institute, institution, status, substitute, constitute, constituent, statue, statute, stade, estado, 6 more
Today it means
noun A condition; a set of circumstances applying at any given time.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / state