assistantships
|as-sis-tant-ship|
/əˈsɪstəntʃɪp/
(assistantship)
position/status of an assistant
Etymology
'assistantship' originates from English, specifically formed by the noun 'assistant' + the suffix '-ship', where 'assistant' ultimately comes from Latin 'assistere' (via Old French 'assistant'), and the suffix '-ship' comes from Old English 'scipe' meaning 'state, condition, office'.
'assistant' developed from Old French 'assistant' (present participle of assister), which comes from Latin 'assistere' (ad- 'to' + sistere 'to stand'); '-ship' comes from Old English 'scipe'. These elements combined in Modern English to form 'assistantship' meaning the office or position of an assistant.
Initially it referred to the state or office of being an assistant; over time it has come to be used especially for specific paid or funded assistant positions (commonly in academia) that support study or research.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a position in which someone works as an assistant (often in a college or university) that commonly includes pay or a stipend to support study or research; e.g., teaching assistantships or research assistantships.
Many graduate students rely on assistantships to fund their studies.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/03 22:26