extant
UK[ɛkˈstænt]US[ɛkˈstænt]
adj
still in existence; surviving.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
stant
ex
out
stant
standing
Etymology
the word 'extant' originates from the latin present participle 'extans, extant-', meaning 'standing out' or 'being prominent'. this form derives from the verb 'exstare', a compound of 'ex-' ('out') and 'stare' ('to stand'). the core semantic link from the literal 'standing out' to the modern meaning 'still in existence' developed through the idea of something that has endured and thus remains visible or prominent from the past. it is related to other english words like 'constant' and 'distant', which also share the 'stare' root.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + stant (standing)
ex- (latin prefix, meaning 'out of, from'); -stant (from latin root 'stare' meaning 'to stand')
Examples
few manuscripts from that period are still extant.
this is the oldest extant copy of the charter.
the extant records provide valuable insights into their daily lives.