stay: English has three distinct words stay, two of them ultimately from the same source. Stay ‘stop’ [15] comes from estai-, the present stem of Old French ester ‘stand, stop’. This in turn went back to Latin stāre ‘stand’ (source of English state, statue, etc). Staid [16] originated as the past participle of stay. Stay ‘strong rope’ [OE] comes from a prehistoric Germanic *staga-. This was derived from a base *stagh-, *stakh- ‘be firm’, which also produced English steel and (by borrowing) Old French estayer ‘support’ (source of English stay ‘support’ [16]). => staid, stand, statue; steel
stay (v.1)
mid-15c., "cease going forward, come to a halt," also (transitive) "detain, hold back," from Old French estai-, stem of estare "to stay or stand," from Latin stare "to stand, stand still, remain standing; be upright, be erect; stand firm, stand in battle; abide; be unmovable; be motionless; remain, tarry, linger; take a side," (source also of Italian stare, Spanish estar "to stand, to be"), from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Sense of "remain" is first recorded 1570s; that of "reside as a guest for a short period" is from 1550s. Related: Stayed; staying.
Of things, "remain in place," 1590s. Stay put is first recorded 1843, American English. "To stay put is to keep still, remain in order. A vulgar expression" [Bartlett]. Phrase stay the course is originally (1885) in reference to horses holding out till the end of a race. Stay-stomach was (1800) "a snack."
stay (n.1)
"support, prop, brace," 1510s, from Middle French estaie "piece of wood used as a support," Old French estaie "prop, support," perhaps from Frankish *staka "support" or some other Germanic word, from Proto-Germanic *stagaz (cognates: Middle Dutch stake "stick," Old English steli "steel," stæg "rope used to support a mast"), from PIE *stak- "to stand, place" (see stay (n.2)). In some uses from stay (v.2).
stay (n.2)
"strong rope which supports a ship's mast," from Old English stæg "rope used to support a mast," from Proto-Germanic *stagaz (cognates: Dutch stag, Low German stach, German Stag, Old Norse stag "stay of a ship"), from PIE *stak- "to stand, place," perhaps ultimately an extended form of root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
stay (n.3)
1520s, "delay, postponement, period of remaining in a place," from stay (v.1). Meaning "action of stoppage, appliance for stopping" is 1530s; that of "suspension of judicial proceedings" is from 1540s.
stay (v.2)
"support, sustain," early 15c., from Middle French estayer (Modern French étayer), originally in nautical use, "secure by stays," from estaie (see stay (n.1)). The nautical sense in English is from 1620s. Related: Stayed; staying.
双语例句
1. You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest. And if you do, if you stay positive, then you have a shot at a silver lining.
你必须全力以赴，最大限度地去努力。如果你这么做，并且保持乐观，你就会看见乌云背后的幸福线。
来自电影《乌云背后的幸福线》
2. I had to postpone ideas of a career and stay at home.
我不得不暂缓就业打算，呆在家里。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Mommy, you don't need to stay while we talk.
妈妈,我们谈话时你不必陪着.
来自柯林斯例句
4. Giovanni plied him with questions with the intention of prolonging his stay.
乔瓦尼一个劲儿地问他问题，想要拖住他。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Stay in bed extra late or get up specially early.
