Where does “superstition” come from?
Superstition comes from Middle French superstition, from Latin superstitio, derived from the Latin verb sto meaning to stand, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- meaning to stand or be firm.
superstition (English): A belief or beliefs, not based on human reason or...
Definitions
- A belief or beliefs, not based on human reason or...
Ancestry of “superstition”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | superstition | — |
| 2 | Latin | superstitio | superstition |
| 3 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 4 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 5 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 6 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 7 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 8 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 9 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |