August 16, 2012
- statue (noun)
- \STATCH-oo\
- What does it mean?
- : a likeness (as of a person) sculptured, modeled, or cast in a solid substance (as marble)
- How do you use it?
- The Statue of Liberty, a gift of the French people to the United States, is made of hammered copper sheets supported by a steel framework inside the figure.
- Are you a word wiz?
"Statue" stems from the Latin root "status." What do you think "status" means in Latin?
We're in the position to tell you that C is correct. Latin speakers used "status" to form "statuere" meaning "to set up." From "statuere" they formed "statua" meaning "statue." "Statua" passed into Anglo-French as "estatut" which was borrowed into English and became "statue." Other words stemming from "status" include "state," "statistics," and "stature."
