Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stalking” come from?

Stalking derives from English stalk, from Old English -ung, from Middle English stale, from Proto-Germanic stelaną, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand or be firm.

stalking (English): present participle of stalk; The act of going...

Definitions

  1. present participle of stalk; The act of going...

Ancestry of “stalking”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstalkThe stem or main axis of a plant, which supports...
2Middle Englishstalken—
3Old Englishstealcianto stalk
4Proto-Germanicstalkazhigh, lofty, steep, stiff
5Proto-Indo-European(s)tAlg- / -e-to jut out, protrude

Words derived from “stalking”

  • deerstalking
  • antistalking
  • stalkingly
  • gangstalking
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)tAlg- / -e- →