Etymograph

English

phosphatidase

Phosphatidase comes from Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς ‘separation’, from ῐ̔́στημῐ ‘to stand’, 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*stísteh₂ti1‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmi1‘to stand’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῐ̔́στημῐ1hĭ́stēmĭ‘to stand’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐῐ̈́στημῐ1dĭĭ̈́stēmĭ‘to set apart, place separately’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐς1dĭắstăsĭs‘separation’
  7. English1500–presentdiastase1
  8. Englishtodayphosphatidase1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English phosphatidase

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-Wiktionary, English phosphatidase‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂tiWiktionary, English phosphatidase‘to be standing up, to be getting up’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hístāmiWiktionary, English phosphatidase‘to stand’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῐ̔́στημῐWiktionary, English phosphatidasehĭ́stēmĭ‘to stand’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐῐ̈́στημῐWiktionary, English phosphatidasedĭĭ̈́stēmĭ‘to set apart, place separately’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδῐᾰ́στᾰσῐςWiktionary, English phosphatidasedĭắstăsĭs‘separation’
  7. English1500–presentdiastaseWiktionary, English phosphatidase
  8. EnglishtodayphosphatidaseWiktionary, English phosphatidase

Linked words

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

state, stay, post, rest, stand, distance, stadium, instance, stood, contest, stable, establish, constitution, instant, stability, stem, substance, distant, destiny, testimony, destination, stud, stool, prostitution, stale, stamina, stationary, prostitute, substitution, distal, extant, stead, attest, stow, testimonial, astute, destitute, oust, stalwart, detest, 137 more

through Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up, to be getting up’

assistant, consistent, assistance, assist, resist, insist, consist, persistent, persist, subsistence, armistice, desist, solstice, metastatic, existentialist, hydrostatic, 30 more

through Proto-Hellenic *hístāmi ‘to stand’

system, static, histone, stater, 26 more

Today it means

noun Any enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of a lecithin or other phosphatide to a lysolecithin or other lysophospholipid

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “phosphatidase”. 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- / phosphatidase

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