DictionaryRoot: sistere
Latin
sistere
make stand; take a stand
Forms
- sistere
- -sist- — The form retained inside many compounds.
Origin
Formed within the Latin family of stare, “stand,” ultimately from an old Indo-European root for standing.
Note
Making something stand can mean establishing it, stopping it, or making it remain.
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noun
solstice
SAHL-stis/ˈsɑːlstɪs/
Either of the two times each year when the sun is farthest north or south of the equator.
Etymology
The roots picture the sun “standing still.” They name the apparent pause at its greatest distance from the equator, marking the yearly extremes of daylight.