Where does “stint” come from?
Stint comes from Middle English stinten, from Old English styntan, from Proto-Germanic stuntijaną and stuntaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots -éyeti and -yeti.
stint (English): To stop (an action); cease, desist
Definitions
- To stop (an action); cease, desist
Ancestry of “stint”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stinten | — |
| 2 | Old English | styntan | to blunt, to dull |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *stuntijan | to shorten |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | stuntijaną | to shorten; to make dull |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewd- | to push, to hit |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stew- | to praise, laud |