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Origin and history of substitute

substitute(v.)

early 15c., substituten, transitive, "appoint (someone) to a position (in place of another)," a sense now obsolete, from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere "put in place of another" (see substitution). The general sense of "put in place of another" in English is by 1580s.

The intransitive meaning "act as a substitute" is by 1888. Related: Substituted; substituting.

substitute(n.)

"one who acts in place of another," early 15c., from Old French substitut (noun use) and directly from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere "put in place of another" (see substitution).

The military sense of "one who for a consideration serves in place of a conscript" is by 1777, American English; the team-sports sense of "player who replaces another after the game has begun" is by 1849 (cricket). In reference to foodstuffs, "artificial ingredient in place of a natural one," by 1879. As an adjective from early 15c.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to substitute

substitution(n.)

late 14c., substitucion, "appointment of a subordinate or successor" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French substitucion, substitution or directly from Late Latin substitutionem (nominative substitutio) "a putting in place of (another)," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin substituere "put in place of another, place under or next to, present, submit," from sub "under" (see sub-) + statuere "set up" (from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm").

By 1888 in the general sense of "act of substituting." In algebra by 1710. In grammar, by 1728 as "use of one word for another," a sense now obsolete; by 1876 in reference to vowel sounds. Related: Substitutial; substitutiary; substitutive; substitutory; substitutivity.

sub(n.)

shortened form of substitute (n.), 1830; the verb in this sense is from 1853. Related: Subbed; subbing. From 1917 as short for submarine (n.).

*sta-

*stā-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to stand, set down, make or be firm," with derivatives meaning "place or thing that is standing."

It might form all or part of: Afghanistan; Anastasia; apostasy; apostate; armistice; arrest; assist; astatic; astatine; Baluchistan; bedstead; circumstance; consist; constable; constant; constitute; contrast; cost; desist; destination; destine; destitute; diastase; distance; distant; ecstasy; epistasis; epistemology; establish; estaminet; estate; etagere; existence; extant; Hindustan; histidine; histo-; histogram; histology; histone; hypostasis; insist; instant; instauration; institute; interstice; isostasy; isostatic; Kazakhstan; metastasis; obstacle; obstetric; obstinate; oust; Pakistan; peristyle; persist; post (n.1) "timber set upright;" press (v.2) "force into service;" presto; prostate; prostitute; resist; rest (v.2) "to be left, remain;" restitution; restive; restore; shtetl; solstice; stable (adj.) "secure against falling;" stable (n.) "building for domestic animals;" stage; stalag; stalwart; stamen; -stan; stance; stanchion; stand; standard; stanza; stapes; starboard; stare decisis; stasis; -stat; stat; state (n.1) "circumstances, conditions;" stater; static; station; statistics; stator; statue; stature; status; statute; staunch; (adj.) "strong, substantial;" stay (v.1) "come to a halt, remain in place;" stay (n.2) "strong rope which supports a ship's mast;" stead; steed; steer (n.) "male beef cattle;" steer (v.) "guide the course of a vehicle;" stem (n.) "trunk of a plant;" stern (n.) "hind part of a ship;" stet; stoa; stoic; stool; store; stound; stow; stud (n.1) "nailhead, knob;" stud (n.2) "horse kept for breeding;" stylite; subsist; substance; substitute; substitution; superstition; system; Taurus; understand.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit tisthati "stands;" Avestan histaiti "to stand;" Persian -stan "country," literally "where one stands;" Greek histēmi "put, place, cause to stand; weigh," stasis "a standing still," statos "placed," stylos "pillar;" Latin sistere "stand still, stop, make stand, place, produce in court," status "manner, position, condition, attitude," stare "to stand," statio "station, post;" Lithuanian stojuos "I place myself," statau "I place;" Old Church Slavonic staja "place myself," stanu "position;" Gothic standan, Old English standan "to stand," stede "place;" Old Norse steði "anvil;" Old Irish sessam "the act of standing."

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