Where does “instability” come from?
Instability derives from Middle French instabilité, from Latin instabilitas, formed with the Latin suffix -tas from Latin instabilis, itself built from the Latin suffix -tus and the Proto-Indo-European suffix -teh₂ extending -tós.
instability (English): The quality of being unstable; A state that is...
Definitions
- The quality of being unstable; A state that is...
Ancestry of “instability”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | instabilité | — |
| 2 | Latin | instabilitas | unsteadiness, instability |
| 3 | Latin | instabilis | unsteady, unstable, shaky; inconstant,... |
| 4 | Latin | stabilis | That stands firm; firm, steadfast, steady, sure,... |
| 5 | Latin | stare | present active infinitive of stō; stand; to be |
| 6 | Latin | sto | I stand; I stay, remain; I am |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | to stand |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |