Where does “substance” come from?
substance (Middle English) comes from Old French substance, from Latin substantia, from Latin substāns, from Latin substō, from Latin sub, from Proto-Italic supo, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
substance (Middle English): essence
Definitions
- essence
Ancestry of “substance”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | substance | most essential; substantial part; existence |
| 2 | Latin | substantia | substance, essence, material, contents; fortune,... |
| 3 | Latin | substāns | — |
| 4 | Latin | substō | to hold out, to stand firm |
| 5 | Latin | sub | under, beneath; behind; at the feet of |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | supo | under |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |