Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stale” come from?

Stale comes from Middle English stale, from Old French estal, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, a root meaning to stand or be firm.

stale (English): Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong; No...

Definitions

  1. Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong; No...

Ancestry of “stale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstaletheft; the act of stealing; stealth
2Old Frenchestalposition, place, site; stall, stable
3Middle Dutchstalstanding; market stall; stable
4Old Dutchstāl—
5Old Dutchstahal—
6Proto-Germanicstahląsteel
7Proto-Germanicstah-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanstāk-stand, pole
9Proto-Indo-Europeanstā-to stand, place
10Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “stale”

  • stalemate
  • stele
  • staleness
  • stalely
  • protostele
  • siphonostele
  • protostelic
  • eustele
  • siphonostelic
  • rakestale
  • actinostele
  • haplostele
  • haplostelic
  • eustelic
  • actinostelic
  • nonstale
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →