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Origin and history of constant

constant(adj.)

late 14c., "steadfast, resolute; patient, unshakable; fixed or firm in mind," from Old French constant (14c.) or directly from Latin constantem (nominative constans) "standing firm, stable, steadfast, faithful," present participle of constare "to stand together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm."

Meaning "steadfast in attachment to a person or cause" is from early 15c. Of actions and conditions, "fixed, not varying" (1540s); "continual, enduring" (1650s). Meaning "regularly recurring" is from 1817. Related: Constantly.

constant

constant(n.)

1832 in mathematics and physics, "a quantity which is assumed to be invariable throughout," from constant (adj.), which is attested from 1753 in mathematics. The general sense "that which is not subject to change" (1856) is a figurative extension from this.

constant

also from 1832

Entries linking to constant

constance(n.)

obsolete form of constancy, mid-14c., constaunce, "steadfastness, self-possession, composure," from Old French constance "steadfastness, permanence" (14c.), from Latin constantia "firm standing, steadiness, firmness, unchangeableness; firmness of character" (source of Italian costanza, Spanish constancia), abstract noun from present-participle stem of constare "to stand together" (see constant (adj.)). Obsolete since 17c. except as a given name for a girl (familiarly Connie), in which use it enjoyed a mild popularity in U.S. c. 1945-1955.

inconstant(adj.)

c. 1400, "fickle, not steadfast," from Old French inconstant "variable, eccentric" (14c.), from Latin inconstantem (nominative inconstans) "changeable, fickle, capricious," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + constantem (see constant). Related: Inconstantly.

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incessant
mid-15c., from Old French *incessant or directly from Late Latin incessantem (nominative incessans) "unceasing," from Latin in- "not" (see in- (1)) + cessans, present participle of cessare "to cease, go slow, give over, leave off, be idle," frequentative of cedere (past participl
perpetual
mid-14c., perpetuel, "everlasting, unceasing, existing indefinitely, continuing forever in future time;" late 14c., "uninterrupted, continuous," from Old French perpetuel "without end" (12c.) and directly from Latin perpetualis "universal," in Medieval Latin "permanent," from per
stable
mid-12c., "trustworthy, reliable;" mid-13c., "constant, steadfast; virtuous;" from Old French stable, estable "constant,...
infirm
superstitious, pusillanimous, inconstant"), from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + firmus "strong; stable," figuratively "constant...
pi
As the name of the mathematical constant for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter, from 1841 in English...
closed
Later used in a physical sense, "system in which the total mass or energy remains constant."...
firm
healthy, sound; steadfast, loyal, faithful" (12c.), from Latin firmus "strong, steadfast, enduring, stable," figuratively "constant...
coefficient
also co-efficient, c. 1600, "that which unites in action with something else to produce a given effect," from co- + efficient. Probably influenced by Modern Latin coefficiens, which was used in mathematics in 16c., introduced by French mathematician François Viète (1540-1603). As
C
third letter of the Latin alphabet. Alphabetic writing came to Rome via the southern Etruscan "Caeretan" script, in which gamma was written as a crescent. Early Romans made little use of Greek kappa and used gamma for both the "g" and "k" sounds, the latter more frequently, so th
quantity
early 14c., quantite, "amount, magnitude, the being so much in measure or extent," from Old French quantite, cantite (12c., Modern French quantité) and directly from Latin quantitatem (nominative quantitas) "relative greatness or extent," coined as a loan-translation of Greek pos

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