Etymograph

English

inconstant

Inconstant comes from Latin incōnstāns ‘changeable’, from cōnstāns ‘standing firm, unchangeable’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *komstaēō.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*komstaēō1‘to stand together’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstō1‘to stand together’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstāns1‘standing firm, unchangeable’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEincōnstāns2‘changeable’
  5. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600inconstant2
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500inconstant2
  7. Englishtodayinconstant2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin inconstans
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English inconstant

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*komstaēōWiktionary, Latin inconstans‘to stand together’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstōWiktionary, Latin inconstans‘to stand together’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstānsWiktionary, Latin inconstans‘standing firm, unchangeable’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEincōnstānsWiktionary, English inconstant‘changeable’
  5. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600inconstantWiktionary, English inconstant
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500inconstantWiktionary, English inconstant
  7. EnglishtodayinconstantWiktionary, English inconstant

Linked words

through Latin cōnstō ‘to stand together’

cost, constancy, 4 more

Today it means

adj Not constant; wavering.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “inconstant”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin inconstans. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *komstaēō / inconstant

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