Est
/ɛst/noun
A Latin word meaning “is,” occasionally used in English in quotations, mottos, and scholarly contexts.
Did you know?The Latin verb behind est, esse (“to be”), gave English philosophical words such as essence and entity, linking a tiny statement of existence to entire systems of metaphysics.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁es-ti
““He/she/it is,” from the ancient root meaning “to be””
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
asti
““He/she/it is””
Ancient Greek
Greek
esti (ἐστί)
““He/she/it is””
Classical Latin
Latin
est
““He/she/it is””
Medieval Latin
Latin
est
“A standard copular word meaning “is,” preserved in theological, legal, and scholarly writing”
Modern English
English
est
“A learned Latin quotation or expression meaning “is,” also seen in mottos and formal texts”