Where does “instant” come from?
Instant derives from French instant, from Latin instans meaning "present moment" or "pressing," from the prefix in- combined with the present participle of stāre "to stand," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- "to stand."
instant (English): A very short period of time; a moment; A single,...
Definitions
- A very short period of time; a moment; A single,...
Ancestry of “instant”, step by step
instant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English instant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | instant | infinitely short period of time |
| 2 | Old French | instant | assiduous, at hand |
| 3 | Latin | īnstāns | standing or pressing upon |
| 4 | Latin | stō | to stand |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | staēō | stand |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sth₂éh₁yeti | to stand |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |
via French instant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | instant | pressing, insistent; instant, minute, moment |