Etymology

instant

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Today it means: A very short period of time; a moment. Full definition →

Middle English instant ← Old French instant ← Latin īnstāns
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instant · noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*énu
  2. Latinin-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*sth₂éh₁yeti
  5. Proto-Italic*staējō
  6. Proto-Italic*staēō
  7. Latinstō
  8. Latinīnstō
  9. Latinīnstāns
  10. Old Frenchinstant
  11. Middle Englishinstant
  12. English todayinstant

From Middle English instant (“infinitely short period of time”), from Old French instant (“assiduous, at hand”, adjective), from Latin īnstāns, īnstantis (“present, pressing, urgent”, literally “standing near”), present active participle of īnstō (“to stand upon, be nearby”), from in- (“after”) + stō (“to stand”). Compare Old English instede (“immediately, on the spot, at once”). More at in, stand.

instant · adjective, adverb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*énu
  2. Latinin-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*sth₂éh₁yeti
  5. Proto-Italic*staējō
  6. Proto-Italic*staēō
  7. Latinstō
  8. Latinīnstō
  9. Latinīnstāns
  10. Old Frenchinstant
  11. Middle Englishinstant
  12. Latinīnstān
  13. Frenchinstant
  14. English todayinstant

From French instant and Middle English instant, both from Old French, from Latin instans (“standing by, being near, present, also urgent, importunate”), present participle of instō (“to stand upon, press upon, urge, pursue, insist”), from in (“on, upon”) + stō (“to stand”); see state.

instant · noun3

  1. Proto-Indo-European*énu
  2. Latinin-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*sth₂éh₁yeti
  5. Proto-Italic*staējō
  6. Proto-Italic*staēō
  7. Latinstō
  8. Latinīnstō
  9. Latinīnstāns
  10. Old Frenchinstant
  11. Middle Englishinstant
  12. Latinīnstān
  13. Frenchinstant
  14. Englishinstant
  15. Proto-Indo-European*kh₂em-
  16. Proto-Indo-Iranian*kmárati
  17. Proto-Iranian*kamarā
  18. Ancient Greekκαμάρα (kamára)
  19. Latincamera
  20. Englishcamera
  21. Englishinstant cameraellip.
  22. English todayinstant

Ellipsis of instant camera.

instant · verb4

  1. Middle French · derived from*instanter
  2. Latin · derived fromīnstāre
  3. English todayinstant

Ultimately from Latin īnstāre; its precise evolution is uncertain. OED hints at (unattested) Middle French *instanter.

Words from the same roots

Latininstans all →

instantiation

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.