Where does “soapstone” come from?
Soapstone derives from English soap and stone, with stone tracing back through Middle English stone and Old English stān to Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand or be firm.
soapstone (English): a soft rock, rich in talc, also containing...
Definitions
- a soft rock, rich in talc, also containing...
Ancestry of “soapstone”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Stone | — |
| 2 | Middle English | ston | Alternative form of stone |
| 3 | Old English | stān | stone, rock |
| 4 | Old Norse | Veggr | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wajjuz | wall |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wh̥₁yús | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weh₁y- | to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,... |