English

understand

/ˌʌndəˈstænd/
To know the meaning of; to parse or have parsed correctly; to comprehend.

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    Origin

    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”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishunderstanden
      • inheritedOld Englishunderstandan “to understand”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*understandan “to stand between, understand”
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*understandaną “to stand between, understand”
    • prefixEnglishunder- “Beneath, under”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishunder-
        • inheritedOld Englishunder- “between, inter-”
    • surface analysisEnglishstand “To support oneself on the feet in an erect position.”

    Related: Old English under-, Old Frisian understonda, Old High German understantan, Danish understande, Saterland Frisian understunda, Dutch onderstaan, German unterstehen

    Sources