Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stack” come from?

Stack comes from Middle English stack, from Old Norse stakkr, from Old English staca, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teg-, meaning to stick or pierce.

stack (English): "A pile."; A smokestack; "In computing."

Definitions

  1. "A pile."; A smokestack; "In computing."

Ancestry of “stack”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchstapelpile; basis, foundation, pedestal; stockpile,...
2Middle Dutchstapelpillar; foundation; market; warehouse; market
3Old Dutchstapal—
4Old Swedishstapul—
5Proto-Germanicstapulazpillar, post; basis, foundation
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstebʰ‑—

Words derived from “stack”

  • stacking
  • smokestack
  • stacker
  • stackable
  • stackyard
  • restack
  • unstack
  • stackup
  • prestack
  • drystack
  • multistack
  • wheatstack
  • stackability
  • stackless
  • bookstack
  • stackroom
  • doublestack
  • superstack
  • interstack
  • antistacking
  • substack
  • nonstacking
  • nonstackable
  • stacky
Every word from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ‑ →