steadfast

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English stedefast, from Old English stedefæst, from Proto-Germanic *stadifastuz, equivalent to stead (“place; spot; position”) +‎ fast (“firm; fixed”). Cognate with Middle Dutch stedevast (“steadfast”), Icelandic staðfastur (“steadfast”), Danish stedfast (“firmly attached, secured”), Danish stadfæste (“to confirm; ratify”), Norwegian Bokmål stadfeste (“confirm, ratify; establish”), Swedish stadfästa (“to confirm; establish”).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈstɛdfɑːst/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstɛdfæst/
  • (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈstɛdfəst/[1]
  • Audio (US)(file)

Adjective

steadfast (comparative steadfaster or more steadfast, superlative steadfastest or most steadfast)

  1. Fixed or unchanging; steady.
  2. Firmly loyal or constant; unswerving.

Derived terms

Translations

References
  1. Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9)‎, volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 9.212, page 256.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.