"continue steadily and firmly in some state or course of action," especially in spite of opposition or remonstrance; "persevere obstinately," 1530s, from French persister (14c.), from Latin persistere "abide, continue steadfastly," from per "thoroughly" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + sistere "come to stand, cause to stand still" (from PIE *si-st-, reduplicated form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm"). Related: Persisted; persisting.
1723, "enduring," at first mostly in botany, from persistence or from Latin persistentem (nominative persistens), present participle of persistere (see persist). Meaning "continuing in spite of opposition, warning, etc." is by 1830. Shakespeare used persistive. Related: Persistently.
1540s, "steady or firm adherence to or continuance in a state, course of action, or pursuit that has been entered upon, especially if more or less obstinate," from French persistance, from persistant "lasting, enduring, permanent," from Latin persistentem (nominative persistens), present participle of persistere (see persist). In 16c. often spelled persistance, but the classical spelling prevailed. Meaning "continuance of an effect after the cause which gave rise to it is removed" is from 1862. Related: Persistency.
*stā-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to stand, set down, make or be firm," with derivatives meaning "place or thing that is standing."
It forms 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 is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: 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."
in musical phrases, "recurring frequently, repeated," 1876, from Italian ostinato "obstinate, persistent," from Latin obstinatus "resolute, resolved, determined, inflexible, stubborn," past participle of obstinare "to persist" (see obstinate).
"to persist in what one has undertaken, to pursue steadily a design or course," late 14c., perseveren, from Old French perseverer "continue, persevere, endure" and directly from Latin perseverare "continue steadfastly, persist," from persevereus "very strict, earnest," from per "very" (see per) + severus "serious, grave, strict, austere," which is probably from PIE root *segh- "to have, hold," on the notion of "steadfastness, toughness." Related: Persevered; persevering.
1550s, "slowness, a making slower, retardation," from French retardance, from retarder (see retard (v.)). It seems to persist in reference to resistance to fire, in which sense it dates from 1921. Related: Retardancy.
1640s, "to serve as a soldier," from soldier (n.). The 19c. senses of "malinger, work poorly or hurriedly" seem to be nautical in origin. Related: Soldiered; soldiering. To soldier on "persist doggedly" is attested from 1954.
late 14c., perseveracioun "will to persevere;" early 15c., "duration, quality of persisting," from Old French perseveracion "persistence, stubbornness" (13c.) and directly from Latin perseverationem (nominative perseveratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of perseverare "continue steadfastly, persist" (see persevere). Psychological sense (1903) is from German (see perseverate).
