sistere

Sistere is a Latin verb meaning to place in a standing position, to set up, to establish, or to cause to stand. Intransitive senses include to stand still or halt, while transitive uses cover placing something in a standing position or causing someone to stand. The term can also be extended metaphorically to mean to establish a policy, position, or arrangement, or to fix something in place.

The word is derived from a Proto-Italic root meaning “to stand” and is the source of various compound verbs in Latin, such as consistere, resistere, and insistere, which carry related notions of standing, remaining, or opposing. This semantic family helps illuminate the range of sistere in legal, military, and architectural contexts.

Sistere is generally treated as a third-conjugation verb in Latin grammar. The standard principal parts are commonly given as sistere, sistō, stetī, status, which provide the stem patterns for forming the tense and mood forms in the usual third-conjugation way. As with many Latin verbs, the exact spelling and some forms may vary by author or period, but the core concept remains the act of placing or stopping in a position.

In usage, sistere appears with either a direct object naming what is set up or halted, or intransitively to denote coming to rest or standing fast. Its derivatives and compounds extend its meanings to resisting, persisting, or standing firm in a position or argument.

See also: stō and stāre; consistere; resistere; insistere. References include standard Latin dictionaries and grammars such as Lewis and Short.