Where does “staple” come from?
Staple comes from Middle English staple, from Old French estaple, from Middle Dutch stapel, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ- meaning to support or prop up.
staple (English): A town containing merchants who have exclusive...
Definitions
- A town containing merchants who have exclusive...
Ancestry of “staple”, step by step
staple traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English staple
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | staple | staple; Alternative form of stapel |
| 2 | Old French | estaple | marketplace |
| 3 | Dutch | stapel | pile; basis, foundation, pedestal; stockpile,... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | stapel | pillar; foundation; market; warehouse; market |
| 5 | Old Dutch | stapal | — |
| 6 | Old Swedish | stapul | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | stapulaz | pillar, post; basis, foundation |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stebʰ‑ | to stand still |