Past tense of 'stand'; was in an upright position on one's feet; maintained a position or opinion.
From Old English stōd, past tense of standan meaning 'to stand'. Related to German stand and Dutch stond, from Proto-Germanic *standaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- meaning 'to stand'.
This simple past tense carries enormous metaphorical weight in English - we 'stood our ground,' 'stood by' friends, and 'stood for' principles. The physical act of remaining upright became our primary metaphor for moral and emotional steadfastness.
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