English
substitute
Substitute comes from Latin substitutus ‘substituted’, from statuō ‘to put up’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws ‘to stand (up)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*status‘position, place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatus‘position’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuō‘to put up’next step skipped: Latin substituō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubstitutus‘substituted’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500substituten
- Englishearliest quotation 1840substitute
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*status‘position, place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatus‘position’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuō‘to put up’next step skipped: Latin substituō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubstitutus‘substituted’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500substituten
- Englishearliest quotation 1840substitute
Earliest quotation: 1840, Thomas De Quincey, Theory of Greek Tragedy: “Ladies [in William Shakespeare's age], again, universally wore masks…”
Linked words
through Latin status ‘position’
state, status, stade, estado, statuette, 5 more
through Latin statuō ‘to put up’
institute, constitution, statue, institution, statute, prostitution, constituent, constitute, prostitute, restitution, destitute, destitution, 6 more
Today it means
verb To use in place of something else, with the same function.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tus ~ *sth₂téws / substitute