offstand

Meaning

Verb

1. To endure against; stand or ward off; defend against; withstand; resist.
2. To offset; compensate for; make restitution for.

Noun

Offset; restitution.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ofstonden

Inherited from Old English: ofstandan

Cognate with Dutch: afstaan

Cognate with German: abstehen

Cognate with Swedish: avstå

In summary

From Middle English ofstonden, from Old English ofstandan (“to remain, persist, continue; restore, make restitution”), from Proto-Germanic *afstandaną, *afstāną, equivalent to off- + stand. Cognate with Dutch afstaan (“to cede, yield, relinquish”), German abstehen (“to project, stick out, stand away”), Swedish avstå (“to refrain, desist, give up, relinquish”).