LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, no passive, no supine stem

assistō

assistō (present infinitive assistere, perfect active astitī)
Classical[asˈsɪs.toː]Ecclesiastical[asˈsis.to]

Meaning

  1. to place oneself somewhere, stand (at or by), post oneself; approach, come upon; stop or halt in a position
  2. to defend, assist, aid
  3. to stand before one on trial or in judgement

In the readers how our graded readers gloss it

Conjugation conjugation 3 no-supine

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.assistōassistēbamassistamastitīastiteramastiterō
2nd sg.assistisassistēbāsassistēsastitistīastiterāsastiteris
3rd sg.assistitassistēbatassistetastititastiteratastiterit
1st pl.assistimusassistēbāmusassistēmusastitimusastiterāmusastiterimus
2nd pl.assistitisassistēbātisassistētisastitistisastiterātisastiteritis
3rd pl.assistuntassistēbantassistentastitērunt
astitēre		astiterantastiterint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.assistamassisteremastiterimastitissem
2nd sg.assistāsassisterēsastiterīsastitissēs
3rd sg.assistatassisteretastiteritastitisset
1st pl.assistāmusassisterēmusastiterīmusastitissēmus
2nd pl.assistātisassisterētisastiterītisastitissētis
3rd pl.assistantassisterentastiterintastitissent
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.assiste—
pres. 2nd pl.assistite—
fut. 2nd sg.assistitō—
fut. 3rd sg.assistitō—
fut. 2nd pl.assistitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.assistuntō—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveassistere—
perfect infinitiveastitisse—
present participleassistēns—
gerundassistendī, assistendō, assistendum

as-sisto (ads-, Fleck., Lachm., B. and K., Rib., Halm; ass-, Merk.), astĭti, no
I. sup., 3, v. n. (cf. absisto), to place one's self somewhere, to stand, post one's self.
I. In gen.: Mane tu atque adsiste ilico, Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 2: Adsistite omnes contra me, id. Ps. 1, 2, 23: ut adsisterent coram Domino, Vulg. Job, 1, 6; ib. 2 Par. 9, 7: adsiste altrinsecus, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 123: hic propter hunc adsiste, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 15: Qui nunc hic adsistunt, Vulg. Zach. 3, 7: Accede, nate, adsiste, Cic. Tusc. 2, 9, 21: ut ipsi ad fores adsisterent, imperat, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 26: ut contra omnes hostium copias in ponte unus (Cocles) adsisteret, id. Leg. 2, 4, 10: Quem Turnus super adsistens, Verg. A. 10, 490: Donec Laërtius heros Astitit, Ov. M. 13, 125. —
II. Esp.
A. As indicating a completed action, to stand somewhere, to stand at or by: ita jacere talum, ut rectus adsistat, may stand erect, Cic. Fin. 3, 16, 54: Nec refert quibus adsistas regionibus ejus, Lucr. 1, 964: lecto assistere, Ov. F. 5, 457: precanti, id. ib. 1, 631: adsisto divinis, * Hor. S. 1, 6, 114: neque enim scribenti, ediscenti et cogitanti praeceptor adsistit, Quint. 1, 2, 12.—With acc.: equos, Stat. Th. 3, 299.— Trop.: consulum tribunalibus Italia et publicae provinciae adsisterent, i. e. comparerent jura accepturi, Tac. A. 13, 4.—
B. Alicui.
a. To stand by one (as counsel) before a tribunal, to defend, assist, aid (post-Aug. for the class. adesse, q. v.): adsistebam Vareno, Plin. Ep. 7, 6, 3; 7, 10, 85; Dig. 6, 1, 54; App. Dogm. Plat. 1, p. 3.—
b. To stand before one on trial, in judgment (eccl. Lat.): Caesari oportet te adsistere, Vulg. Act. 27, 23.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  2. Proto-Italic*ad
  3. Proto-Italic*ad-
  4. Latinassistō

Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti Proto-Italic *sistō Latin sistō Latin assistō From ad- (“to, towards, at”) + sistō (“stand, be placed”).

Descendants
  • Catalanassistir
  • Englishassist
  • Frenchassister
  • Italianassistere
  • Occitanassistir
  • Portugueseassistir
  • Spanishasistir
  • Asturianasistir
  • Friulianassisti
  • Galicianasistir

In English words that came into English from assistō

  • assistassistō
  • assistanceassistentia

Quick answers

What does assistō mean in Latin?
assistō, a verb, means “to place oneself somewhere, stand (at or by), post oneself; approach, come upon; stop or halt in a position”.
What are the principal parts of assistō?
assistō, assistere, astitī (third conjugation, no passive, no supine stem).
How do you pronounce assistō?
In classical Latin, [asˈsɪs.toː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [asˈsis.to].
Where does assistō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd → Proto-Italic *ad → Proto-Italic *ad- → Latin assistō.