Etymology
1. O.E.
understandan "comprehend, grasp the idea of," probably lit. "stand in the midst of," from
under +
standan "to stand" (see stand). If this is the meaning, the
under is not the usual word meaning "beneath," but from O.E.
under, from PIE
*nter- "between, among" (cf. Skt.
antar "among, between," L.
inter "between, among," Gk.
entera "intestines;" see inter-). But the exact notion is unclear. Perhaps the ult. sense is "be close to," cf. Gk.
epistamai "I know how, I know," lit. "I stand upon." Similar formations are found in O.Fris. (
understonda), M.Dan. (
understande), while other Gmc. languages use compounds meaning "stand before" (cf. Ger.
verstehen, represented in O.E. by
forstanden ). For this concept, most I.E. languages use fig. extensions of compounds that lit. mean "put together," or "separate," or "take, grasp."
2. From Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan (“to understand”), from Proto-West Germanic *understandan (“to stand between, understand”), from Proto-Germanic *understandaną (“to stand between, understand”), equivalent to Old English under- (“between, inter-”) + standan (“to stand”) (Modern English under- + stand). Cognate with Old Frisian understonda (“to understand, experience, learn”), Old High German understantan (“to understand”), Middle Danish understande (“to understand”). Compare also Saterland Frisian understunda, unnerstounde (“to dare, survey, measure”), Dutch onderstaan (“to undertake, presume”), German unterstehen (“to be subordinate”). See: Old English '
understandan', Proto-Germanic '
*understandaną', Old High German 'understantan', Danish '
understande', Dutch '
onderstaan', German, old spelling '
unterstehen'.
Verbs referencing "understand"
German, old spelling
unterstehen.