Where does “babystay” come from?

babystay (English) comes from English stay, from Middle English stay, from Old French estaye, from Middle Dutch staeye, from Middle Dutch staede, from Old Dutch stad, from Proto-Germanic stadiz, from Proto-Indo-European stéh₂tis.

babystay (English): A stay just forward of the mast, used to support...

Definitions

  1. A stay just forward of the mast, used to support...

Ancestry of “babystay”, step by step

babystay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English stay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstayTo prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady; To...
2Middle EnglishstayA stay
3Old Frenchestayeprop, support
4Middle Dutchstaeyea prop, stay
5Middle Dutchstaede
6Old Dutchstada site, place, location, standing
7Proto-Germanicstadizplace, location
8Proto-Indo-Europeanstéh₂tisstanding, position
9Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-

via English baby

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbabyA very young human, particularly from birth to a...
2Middle EnglishbabyA child or baby
3Middle English-yDesignates an adjective, in many cases formed by...
4Old English-iġ-y, -ic
5Proto-West Germanic-gForms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a...
6Proto-Germanic-gaz-y
7Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European stéh₂tisEvery word from Proto-Germanic stadiz