Where does “instance” come from?

Instance comes from French instance, from Latin instantia, meaning urgency or insistence, derived from Latin instans, the present participle of instare, composed of Latin in- and the Proto-Indo-European root steh₂- meaning to stand.

instance (English): Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request;...

Definitions

  1. Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request;...

Ancestry of “instance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchinstance—
2Latininstāntiaa being near, presence
3Latinīnstānsstanding or pressing upon
4Latinstōto stand
5Proto-Italicstaēōstand
6Proto-Indo-Europeansth₂éh₁yetito stand
7Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

Words derived from “instance”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European sth₂éh₁yeti →Every word from Proto-Italic staēō →