understand, to step/stand under > to take upon oneself, to venture, presume > to grasp the idea of; comprehend

[OE. understondan, -standan (under-1 8a), = OFris. understonda, MDa. understande, MSw. undi(r)standa, OIcel. (as a foreign word) undirstanda. Cf. MLG. understân to understand, to step under, MDu. onderstaen (Du. -staan), MHG. understân, -stên (G. unterstehen), to take upon oneself, to venture, presume, etc. With a different prefix, the same use of stand appears in OE. forstandan, OS. farstandan, OHG. far-, firstantan (firstân), and MHG. verstân, -stên (G. verstehen), MDu. verstaen (Du. -staan).