'status-quoist' originates from modern English; specifically from the Latin phrase 'status quo' combined with the agentive English suffix '-ist', where 'status quo' meant 'the state in which (things are)' and '-ist' meant 'one who practices, supports, or is concerned with'.

'status quo' is a Latin phrase adopted into English usage (via legal and political language) in the 18th–19th centuries; the agentive suffix '-ist' traces back through Latin/Greek forms ('-ista', Greek '-ístēs') and was attached in modern English to form 'status-quoist' meaning 'one who favors the status quo'.

Initially it meant 'one who supports the existing state of affairs', and over time the meaning has remained essentially the same, describing someone opposed to change.