Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stance” come from?

stance (English) comes from Middle English staunce, from Old French estance, from Italian stanza, from Vulgar Latin stantia, from Latin stāns, from Latin stō, from Proto-Italic staēō, from Proto-Indo-European sth₂éh₁yeti.

stance (English): The manner, pose, or posture in which one stands;...

Definitions

  1. The manner, pose, or posture in which one stands;...

Ancestry of “stance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstaunceplace to stand; battle station; position
2Old Frenchestancestay; sojourn; situation; predicament
3Italianstanzaroom; stanza
4Vulgar Latinstantiastanding, stopping-place; nominative neuter...
5Latinstāns—
6Latinstō—
7Proto-Italicstaēōstand
8Proto-Indo-Europeansth₂éh₁yeti—
9Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

Words derived from “stance”

  • midstance
  • stanceless
  • life stance
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →