Where does “stem” come from?
Stem comes from English steem, Middle French estimer, and Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, which meant to stand or set in place.
stem (English): The stock of a family; a race or generation of...
Definitions
- The stock of a family; a race or generation of...
Ancestry of “stem”, step by step
stem traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English femme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | femme | A woman, a wife; a young woman or girl; A... |
| 2 | French | femme | woman; wife; Alternative form of fem |
| 3 | Middle French | femme | wife; woman |
| 4 | Old French | fame | wife, female partner; woman |
| 5 | Latin | fēmina | woman |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | fēmanā | woman |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂ | who sucks; one who is sucked; one who suckles;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁(y)- | to suckle, nurse |