The term superstition is misleading if we think it means ignorance in the sense of lack of evidence or or belief without evidence— For this we must see that its more literal meaning is “to stand” or to “over stand/stand over”—
This begins to make sense when we piece together the meaning of understanding as to “be between” or “amidst”—
This is a huge clue as to what superstition really is as an issue of “false religious belief; irrational faith in supernatural powers”—
It has to deal with the ordeal of every thing having an opposite that cancels each other out; thus, to over stand any one fact is to place unwarranted importance and exaggeration of its form in appearance— In this way we “understand” that the definition when based on evidence alone is to overstate or “over stand” evidence itself; and thus places the very definition we often know for superstition as superstition itself—
Superstition even contained historically “dread of the supernatural” which most people who are against superstition actually demonstrate— This means a completely objective outlook just as well as a completely subjective outlook falls under the meaning of superstition—
However between superstition and understanding arises our personality and our unique way—
superstition (n.)
early 13c., “false religious belief; irrational faith in supernatural powers,” from Latin superstitionem (nominative superstitio) “prophecy, soothsaying; dread of the supernatural, excessive fear of the gods, religious belief based on fear or ignorance and considered incompatible with truth or reason,” literally “a standing over,” noun of action from past participle stem of superstare “stand on or over; survive,” from super “above” (see super-) + stare “to stand,” from PIE root *stā- “to stand” (see stet).
There are many theories to explain the Latin sense development, but none has yet been generally accepted; de Vaan suggests the sense is “cause to remain in existence.” Originally in English especially of religion; sense of “unreasonable notion” is from 1794.
understand (v.)
That is the suggestion in Barnhart, but other sources regard the “among, between, before, in the presence of” sense of Old English prefix and preposition under as other meanings of the same word. “Among” seems to be the sense in many Old English compounds that resemble understand, such as underniman “to receive,” undersecan “examine, investigate, scrutinize” (literally “underseek”), underðencan “consider, change one’s mind,” underginnan “to begin.” It also seems to be the sense still in expressions such as under such circumstances.
Perhaps the ultimate sense is “be close to;” compare Greek epistamai “I know how, I know,” literally “I stand upon.” Similar formations are found in Old Frisian (understonda), Middle Danish (understande), while other Germanic languages use compounds meaning “stand before” (German verstehen, represented in Old English by forstanden “understand,” also “oppose, withstand”). For this concept, most Indo-European languages use figurative extensions of compounds that literally mean “put together,” or “separate,” or “take, grasp” (see comprehend). Old English oferstandan, Middle English overstonden, literally “over-stand” seem to have been used only in literal senses. For “to stand under” in a physical sense, Old English had undergestandan.
