understand

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*understandaną“to stand between, understand”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*understandan“to stand between, understand”
3. Old English · inherited fromunderstandan“to understand”
4. Middle English · inherited fromunderstanden
5. English todayunderstand

From Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan (“to understand”), from Proto-West Germanic *understandan (“to stand between, understand”), from Proto-Germanic *understandaną (“to stand between, understand”), equivalent to Old English under- (“between, inter-”) + standan (“to stand”) (Modern English under- + stand). Cognate with Old Frisian understonda (“to understand, experience, learn”), Old High German understantan (“to understand”), Middle Danish understande (“to understand”). Compare also Saterland Frisian understunda, unnerstounde (“to dare, survey, measure”), Dutch onderstaan (“to undertake, presume”), German unterstehen (“to be subordinate”).

Words from the same roots