persist

Where does the word "persist" come from? It comes from Latin persistere, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).

Persist’s story begins in Latin: persistere meant “to stand firm, to continue.” To stand through, to continue steadfastly, from per- (through) and sistere (to stand). It reached English by 1530s as persist. Settled as the English word for continuing firmly despite difficulty. Today, persist means to continue firmly in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient persistere "to stand firm, to continue", to stand through, to continue steadfastly, from per- (through) and sistere (to stand).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1530s persist "to continue firmly despite difficulty or opposition", settled as the English word for continuing firmly despite difficulty.