Where does “keystone” come from?
Keystone derives from English key and stone, with stone tracing to Old English stān and ultimately Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand or be firm.
keystone (English): The top stone of an arch; Something on which...
Definitions
- The top stone of an arch; Something on which...
Ancestry of “keystone”, step by step
keystone traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stone | A hard earthen substance that can form large... |
| 2 | Middle English | stone | A stone, boulder, or pebble; A solid mass... |
| 3 | Old English | stān | stone, rock |
| 4 | Old Norse | Veggr | name of a dwarf |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wajjuz | wall |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wh̥₁yús | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weh₁y- | to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,... |