Stationary comes from Latin 'stationarius', belonging to a fixed post, from 'statio' (a standing, post), from 'stare', to stand. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "not moving; fixed in one place", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin stationarius, Latin stare, and Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-. Derivative forms include stationariness; related words include station, stationer.