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
- "A pile."; A smokestack; "In computing."
Ancestry of “stack”, step by step
stack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch stapel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | stapel | pile; basis, foundation, pedestal; stockpile,... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | stapel | pillar; foundation; market; warehouse; market |
| 3 | Old Dutch | stapal | — |
| 4 | Old Swedish | stapul | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stapulaz | pillar, post; basis, foundation |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stebʰ‑ | to stand still |
via Middle English stack
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stack | Alternative form of stak; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | staca | stake |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | stakô | stake |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teg- | to cover; pole, stick, beam |
Words derived from “stack”