Where does “distaffer” come from?

distaffer (English) comes from English distaff, from Middle English distaf, from Old English distæf, from Old English stæf, from Proto-West Germanic stab, from Proto-Germanic stabaz, from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ- — to stand still; to harden.

distaffer (English): A horse that races in a distaff race for female horses only

Definitions

  1. A horse that races in a distaff race for female horses only

Ancestry of “distaffer”, step by step

distaffer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English distaff

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdistaffA device to which a bundle of natural fibres are...
2Middle EnglishdistafA distaff; a staff for spinning
3Old Englishdistæfdistaff
4Old Englishstæfstaff; letter, written character
5Proto-West Germanicstabstaff; letter
6Proto-Germanicstabazstaff, stick
7Proto-Indo-Europeanstebʰ-to stand still; to harden

via English ER

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishERThe statistic "Earned Run"; Initialism of...
2Turkisherearly; brave; man, male
3Ottoman Turkishایرsaddle, a seat for a rider placed on the back of a horse or other animal
4Old Anatolian Turkishایرearly, at a time in advance of the usual or expected event
5Proto-Turkicēdersaddle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic stabazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic stab