Where does “distaff” come from?
Distaff comes from Middle English distaf, from Old English distæf, combining Old English stæf (staff) with Proto-Germanic stabaz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European stebʰ- (to support or prop up).
distaff (English): A device to which a bundle of natural fibres are...
Definitions
- A device to which a bundle of natural fibres are...
Ancestry of “distaff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | distaf | A distaff; a staff for spinning |
| 2 | Old English | distæf | distaff |
| 3 | Old English | stæf | staff; letter, written character |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | stab | staff; letter |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stabaz | staff, stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stebʰ- | to stand still; to harden |