Etymograph

English

obstetrix

Obstetrix comes from Latin obstetrīx ‘midwife’, from obstō ‘to stand before’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-1‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti1‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējō1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō1‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō2‘stand’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstō3‘to stand before’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstetrīx4‘midwife’
  8. Englishtodayobstetrix4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin sto
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin obsto
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin obstetrix
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English obstetrix

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-Wiktionary, Latin sto‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yetiWiktionary, Latin sto‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōWiktionary, Latin storeconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staēōWiktionary, Latin sto‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstōWiktionary, Latin obsto‘stand’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstōWiktionary, Latin obstetrix‘to stand before’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEobstetrīxWiktionary, English obstetrix‘midwife’
  8. EnglishtodayobstetrixWiktionary, English obstetrix

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’

state, post, system, stay, stand, assistant, stadium, assistance, constitution, stood, stable, assist, consistent, contest, destination, destiny, resist, testimony, static, stem, insist, consist, persistent, prostitution, stud, persist, stool, prostitute, stale, stamina, substitution, armistice, restitution, solstice, attest, desist, stow, steadfast, stasis, testimonial, 138 more

through Proto-Italic *staējō

establishment, instability, 12 more

through Proto-Italic *staēō ‘to stand’

arrest, establish, stability, stationary, instantaneous, distantly, restive, instantiation, 14 more

through Latin stō ‘stand’

rest, stage, station, distance, instance, instant, distant, substance, extant, distal, 25 more

through Latin obstō ‘to stand before’

oust, 1 more

Today it means

noun A midwife.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “obstetrix”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin sto, Latin obsto, Latin obstetrix. 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- / obstetrix

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