Where does “stepping” come from?
Stepping derives from English step plus the Old English participial suffix -ing, itself from Old English -ung, ultimately from Proto-Germanic stapiz and Proto-Indo-European stebʰ‑.
stepping (English): present participle of step; The act of taking a...
Definitions
- present participle of step; The act of taking a...
Ancestry of “stepping”, step by step
stepping traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | step | An advance or movement made from one foot to the... |
| 2 | English | stepchild | The child of one's spouse but not one's own; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | stepchild | stepchild child of a spouse |
| 4 | Old English | stēopċild | stepchild |
| 5 | Old English | ċild | child, youth; fetus; female baby; child |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kelþaz | fetus; newborn; infant; child |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵelt- | womb |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |
via Middle English steppynge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | steppynge | The act of movement; stepping or walking |