cost

Where does the word "cost" come from? It comes from Latin constare, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Cost’s story begins in Latin: constare meant “to stand firm, to cost.” 'com-' plus 'stare', to stand: the price stands at. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as coster. What something stands at in price. It reached English by 1200s as cost. 'at all costs' dates from the 1700s. Today, cost means an amount paid for something.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient constare "to stand firm, to cost", 'com-' plus 'stare', to stand: the price stands at.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval coster "to cost", what something stands at in price.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s cost "to cost", 'at all costs' dates from the 1700s.