What is a stition, anyway?

[perplexedseeker]

A random blog post I read today presented me with an odd thought:

We often hear the term superstition, but what, if anything does this word mean? What is a stition, and how can a superstition be "above" it?

For example, we have the word supernatural, which can be defined as something which is above the natural. Thus, a superstition implies that there is something called a stition that is in some way different to superstition.

Does anyone have any ideas about this?

[bvgdez]

This is what I found in an online etymological dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/)


superstitious
late 14c., from O.Fr. superstitieux, from L. superstitiosus, from superstitionem (nom. superstitio) "prophecy, soothsaying, excessive fear of the gods," perhaps originally "state of religious exaltation," related to superstes (gen. superstitis) "standing over or above," also "standing by, surviving," from superstare "stand on or over, survive," from super "above" (see super-) + stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). There are many theories for the L. sense development, but none has yet triumphed. Superstition is attested from 1402. In Eng., originally especially of religion; sense of "unreasonable notion" is from 1794.

[perplexedseeker]

Interesting. So this is an example of a word that has completely changed in meaning over the centuries?

[acornuser]

Apr 22, 2010 16:26:03 GMT perplexedseeker said:

Interesting. So this is an example of a word that has completely changed in meaning over the centuries?

How awful

[pete]

stasis