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Chris -- 2018-04-11
When I saw a report today about efforts to staunch the flow of oil from the seabed off Louisiana, I was sure it was a malapropism for stanch. A bit of poking around, however, showed that some, (or all?), dictionaries consider stanch and staunch to be synonyms when used to refer to blocking a flow. But not when used as an adjective describing firm character, for which only staunch will serve.
I smelled a rodent.
The usual etymological sources are muddled here. The Online ED has “stanch” c.1300, from O.Fr. estanchier “cause to cease flowing, stop, hinder,” from V.L. *stancare. “Staunch” is early 15c., “impervious to water,” from O.Fr. estanche “firm, watertight,” fem. of estanc “dried, exhausted, wearied, vanquished,” from V.L. _*stanticare_, probably from L. stans (gen. stantis), prp. of stare “to stand”. Hmm, are those related or not?
I suspect strongly that the second etymology is wrong (on two counts) and that these words have become eggcornically intertwined, maybe even from the days of their adoption. It is more likely that “staunch” comes from the same root as stanchion, as in a sturdy, solid, upright post used to secure a wall, a dam, or the waterproof structure of a ship. Yes, it comes from “to stand”. You can see how they might become confused. In French the roots were estanchier = estancher, giving our stanch, and estançonner, whence staunch. But it wouldn’t astonish me to be wrong.
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