Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stank” come from?

Stank comes from English stink, from Latin stagnum meaning stagnant water, from Proto-Celtic stagnos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- meaning to stand or be still.

stank (English): simple past tense of stink; Foul-smelling,...

Definitions

  1. simple past tense of stink; Foul-smelling,...

Ancestry of “stank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchestancpond
2Old Frenchestanchierto staunch
3Vulgar Latinstanticareto make stagnant
4Latinstānticus—
5Latinstāns—
6Latinstō—
7Proto-Italicstaēōstand
8Proto-Indo-Europeansth₂éh₁yeti—
9Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

Words derived from “stank”

  • stanky
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →