Word of the Day: STAUNCH
To stand firm or stop a flow
staunch (adj) - steadfast, faithful, and true to one’s convictions, commitments, or goals [stawnch]
stanch (verb) - to stop or restrict a flow, often in reference to blood from a wound (also staunch) [stahnch]
BREAKDOWN: The words staunch and stanch may seem different, but they actually bear similar meanings and the exact same origin. Both words derive from the Old French estanchier meaning to stop, staunch, or stifle, which itself came from the Latin stanticare meaning to stand. Thus, both evoke a sense of standing firm or not flowing away.
“Rugby league provides our cultural adrenaline. It’s a physical manifestation of our rules of life, comradeship, honest endeavor, and a staunch, often ponderous allegiance to fair play.” —Colin Welland
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily or obviously derived from classical roots.]
The shared etymology between the adjective and verb is doing something elegant here. "Standing firm" works in both directions — a staunch ally won't yield (won't flow away from their position), and when you stanch a wound, you're making the blood stand still. Same metaphor, two applications. The fact that we ended up with slightly different spellings for what's essentially the same word is one of English's charming accidents.