Where does “style” come from?
Style comes from Middle English stele, from Old English stēle, from Latin stilus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steygʰ-, a root meaning to prick or pierce.
style (English): Senses relating to a thin, pointed object; A...
Definitions
- Senses relating to a thin, pointed object; A...
Ancestry of “style”, step by step
style traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English stiele
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stiele | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *stahlī | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | stahlą | steel |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | stah- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | stāk- | stand, pole |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stā- | to stand, place |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |