English
system
System comes from Middle French systeme and Late Latin systēma, from Ancient Greek σύστημα ‘organized body; whole made of several parts’, from συνίστημι ‘to combine, organize’ (σύν + ἵστημι), and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti‘to be standing up’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmi‘to stand’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἵστημι‘to stand’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσυνίστημιsŭnístēmĭ‘to combine, organize’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσύστημαsústēma‘musical scale; organized body; whole made of several parts’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsystēma‘harmony; musical scale; system’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600systeme
- Englishearliest quotation 1749system
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti‘to be standing up’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmi‘to stand’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἵστημι‘to stand’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσυνίστημιsŭnístēmĭ‘to combine, organize’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσύστημαsústēma‘musical scale; organized body; whole made of several parts’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsystēma‘harmony; musical scale; system’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600systeme
- Englishearliest quotation 1749system
Earliest quotation: 1749, Henry Fielding, London: A[ndrew] Millar: “But ſo Matters fell out, and ſo I muſt…”
The story
Partly borrowed from Middle French sisteme, systeme, partly directly from its etymon Late Latin systēma (‘harmony; musical scale; set of celestial objects; set of troops; system’), from Ancient Greek σύστημα (sústēma, “musical scale; organized body; whole made of several parts or members”), from σῠνίστημῐ (sŭnístēmĭ, “to combine, organize”) + -μᾰ (-mă, resultative suffix). σῠνίστημῐ is from σῠν- (sŭn-, “with, together”) + ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to stand”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (‘to stand (up)’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand up’
state, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, stadium, instance, constitution, stood, establishment, establish, stable, stability, instant, contest, destination, substance, destiny, distant, testimony, prostitution, stationary, stud, stool, extant, substitution, prostitute, stamina, stale, distal, attest, stow, stasis, testimonial, steadfast, stalwart, destitute, stead, oust, 139 more
through Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up, to be getting up’
assistant, assistance, assist, consistent, resist, insist, consist, persistent, persist, armistice, solstice, desist, subsistence, existentialist, 31 more
through Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi ‘to stand’
metastatic, hydrostatic, 25 more
through Ancient Greek ἵστημι ‘to stand’
Today it means
noun A group or set of related things that operate together as a complex whole.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / system