Where does “stew” come from?
Stew derives from English steward, which combines the Old English element sty (household) with ward (guardian), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European steygʰ-.
stew (English): A cooking-dish used for boiling; a cauldron; A...
Definitions
- A cooking-dish used for boiling; a cauldron; A...
Ancestry of “stew”, step by step
stew traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English steward
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | steward | A person who manages the property or affairs for... |
| 2 | Middle English | steward | The administrator of a household or estate especially noble or monarchical |
| 3 | Old English | stiġweard | steward |
| 4 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 5 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 6 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 9 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |
via Middle English stewe, stue
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stewe, stue | — |
| 2 | Old French | estuve | large bath |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | stupha | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τῦφος | a kind of fever; delusion, vanity; nonsense |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τύφω | to smoke, fill with smoke; to consume in smoke |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dhubh- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dheu- | scatter like dust |