English
metastatic
Metastatic comes from French métastatique, from métastase ‘metastasis’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand up’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-1‘to stand up’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti2‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmi2‘to stand’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἵστημι3‘to stand’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμεθίστημι4‘to place in another way, change’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμετᾰ́στᾰσῐς5‘removing, removal’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600metastase5
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmétastase6‘metastasis’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentstatique7
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmétastatique6
- Englishearliest quotation 2025metastatic6
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἵστημι
- 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek μεθίστημι
- 4 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek μετάστασις
- 5 Wiktionary, French métastase
- 6 Wiktionary, English metastatic
- 7 Wiktionary, French métastatique
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2025, Dakin Andone: “Three children who are US citizens, including a 4-year-old…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti‘to stand up’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂tiWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἵστημι‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmiWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἵστημι‘to stand’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἵστημιWiktionary, Ancient Greek μεθίστημι‘to stand’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμεθίστημιWiktionary, Ancient Greek μετάστασις‘to place in another way, change’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμετᾰ́στᾰσῐςWiktionary, French métastase‘removing, removal’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600metastaseWiktionary, French métastase
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmétastaseWiktionary, English metastatic‘metastasis’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentstatiqueWiktionary, French métastatique
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmétastatiqueWiktionary, English metastatic
- Englishearliest quotation 2025metastaticWiktionary, English metastatic. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2025, Dakin Andone: “Three children who are US citizens, including a 4-year-old…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand up’
post, state, rest, stay, stand, distance, stood, contest, stadium, constitution, instance, establish, stable, stem, stability, instant, substance, testimony, destiny, distant, destination, stud, prostitution, stool, prostitute, substitution, extant, stationary, stamina, stale, stead, distal, attest, stow, testimonial, destitute, astute, oust, stalwart, detest, 139 more
through Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up, to be getting up’
consistent, assistant, assistance, assist, resist, insist, consist, persistent, persist, subsistence, desist, armistice, solstice, existentialist, 32 more
through Ancient Greek ἵστημι ‘to stand’
Today it means
adj Relating to, or producing metastasis.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “metastatic”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti, Ancient Greek ἵστημι, Ancient Greek μεθίστημι, Ancient Greek μετάστασις, French métastase, French métastatique. 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-Indo-European *steh₂- / metastatic