Where does “downstairs” come from?
Downstairs combines English down with stair, which derives from Middle English -s and Old French -esse, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steygʰ- meaning to climb or step.
downstairs (English): A floor lower than the current one; living,...
Definitions
- A floor lower than the current one; living,...
Ancestry of “downstairs”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -s | Used to form regular plurals of nouns; Used to... |
| 2 | English | ’s | — |
| 3 | English | Kingstown | OS grid ref NY3959 |
| 4 | English | town | A settlement; an area with residential districts,... |
| 5 | Middle English | toun | town |
| 6 | Middle English | ende | The end or finishing of a thing; the terminal... |
| 7 | Old English | ende | end, limit, border, corner |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |