Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stead” come from?

Stead comes from Middle English sted, from Old English stede, from Proto-Germanic stadiz, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand or be placed.

stead (English): A place, or spot, in general; A place where a...

Definitions

  1. A place, or spot, in general; A place where a...

Ancestry of “stead”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsteda place, spot, locality; a position or place...
2Old Englishstedeplace
3Proto-West Germanicstadiplace
4Proto-Germanicstadizplace, location
5Proto-Indo-Europeanstéh₂tisstanding, position
6Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

Words derived from “stead”

  • instead
  • farmstead
  • bestead
  • covenstead
  • girdlestead
  • dungstead
  • doorstead
  • merestead
  • noonstead
  • wonstead
  • gravestead
  • workstead
  • besteading
  • sunstead
  • headstead
  • abbeystead
  • marketstead
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →