Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “steward” come from?

Steward comes from Old English stīweard, a compound of stīġ (hall or enclosure) and weard (keeper), ultimately deriving from Proto-Germanic stīganą and Proto-Indo-European steygʰ- meaning to stride or mount.

steward (English): A person who manages the property or affairs for...

Definitions

  1. A person who manages the property or affairs for...

Ancestry of “steward”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsteward—
2Old Englishstiġweard—
3Old Englishweardguard; guard, the action of looking out for...
4Old Englishōraore, unwrought metal
5Old Englishēarsea, ocean; grave, earth
6Proto-Germanicahazear
7Proto-Finnicahtasnarrow, cramped
8Proto-Balticanśtas—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

Words derived from “steward”

  • Stewart
  • stewardess
  • stewardly
  • Stewartson
  • stewardlike
  • unstewardly
  • stewardless
  • стюардесса
  • стюард
  • steward
  • stevardo
  • stevardino
  • スチュワーデス
  • スチュワード
  • stewardesa
  • stjuard
  • stjuardesa
  • steward
  • stewardesă
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- →