Where does “footstool” come from?
Footstool derives from English foot combined with stool, with foot tracing to Latin stolo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pṓds meaning foot.
footstool (English): A low stool for supporting the feet while seated;...
Definitions
- A low stool for supporting the feet while seated;...
Ancestry of “footstool”, step by step
footstool traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English foot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | foot | A biological structure found in many animals that... |
| 2 | Middle English | fot | foot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of... |
| 3 | Old English | fōt | foot |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fōt | foot |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fōts | foot |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pṓds | foot |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | póds | foot |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ped- | to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall |
via English stool
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stool | A seat, especially for one person and without... |
| 2 | Middle English | stool | — |
| 3 | Old English | stōl | chair, seat, throne |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *stōl | stool, chair |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stōlaz | stool; throne; chair |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stoh₂los | frame, rack, stand |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |