Origin and history of stand-by

Old English be- (unstressed) or bi (stressed) "near, in, by, during, about," from Proto-Germanic *bi "around, about," in compounds often merely intensive (source also of Old Saxon and Old Frisian bi "by, near," Middle Dutch bie, Dutch bij, German bei "by, at, near," Gothic bi "about"), from PIE *bhi, reduced form of root *ambhi- "around."

As an adverb by c. 1300, "near, close at hand."

OED (2nd ed. print) has 38 distinct definitions of it as a preposition. Originally an adverbial particle of place, which sense survives in place names (Whitby, Grimsby, etc., also compare rudesby). Elliptical use for "secondary course" was in Old English (opposed to main, as in byway, also compare by-blow "illegitimate child," 1590s, Middle English loteby "a concubine," from obsolete lote "to lurk, lie hidden"). This also is the sense of the second by in the phrase by the by (1610s).

By the way literally means "along the way" (c. 1200), hence "in passing by," used figuratively to introduce a tangential observation ("incidentally") by 1540s. To swear by something or someone is in Old English, perhaps originally "in the presence of." Phrase by and by (early 14c.) originally meant "one by one," with by apparently denoting succession; modern sense of "before long" is from 1520s.

By and large "in all its length and breadth" (1660s) originally was nautical, "sailing to the wind and off it," hence "in one direction then another;" from nautical expression large wind, one that crosses the ship's line in a favorable direction.

"spectator, one who stands near," 1610s, from by + agent noun from stand (v.); also compare stand-by. They have been innocent at least since 1829. Stander-by is from 1540s. Middle English in this sense had sitter-aboute (c. 1400).

Middle English stonden, standen, from Old English standan "occupy a place; stand firm; congeal; stay, continue, abide; be valid, take place; oppose, resist attack; stand up, be on one's feet; consist, amount to" (class VI strong verb; past tense stod, past participle standen).

This is from Proto-Germanic *standanan, source also of Old Norse standa, Old Saxon standan, Old Frisian stonda, Gothic standan, Old High German stantan, which are related to simpler forms, such as Swedish stå, Dutch staan, also German stehen, with vowel perhaps altered by influence of gehen "go"), ultimately from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm."

The sense of "exist, be present" is attested from c. 1300. The meaning "to cost" is from mid-14c. (for sense, compare cost (v.), from Latin constare, literally "to stand at"). The meaning "be so high when standing" is from 1831.

The meaning "encounter without flinching or retreating" is from 1590s; that of "endure successfully, undergo, come through" is from c. 1600. The weaker sense of "put up with" is attested by 1620s (to not stand it is by 1750).

The meaning "submit" (to chances, etc.) is from c. 1700. The meaning "pay for as a treat" is from 1821. The sense of "become a candidate for office" is from 1550s. Nautical sense of "hold a course at sea" is from 1620s.

Stand back "keep (one's) distance" is from late 14c. To stand down is from 1680s, originally of witnesses in court; in the military sense of "come off duty" it is by 1916. To stand one's ground is by 1620s; to stand one's chances is by 1725.

Phrase stand pat (1869) is from poker, "declare one's intention to play one's hand as dealt," also figurative, earlier simply stand (1824 in other card games).

The phrase stand to reason (1620) "be reasonable; be natural, evident, or certain," is from earlier stands with reason; the notion in the verb is "adheres to, conforms with."

To let (something) stand is from c. 1200. The construction stand and (deliver, etc.) was in late Old English in Biblical translations.