Where does “understairs” come from?
understairs (English) comes from English stairs, from English stair, from Middle English steire, from Old English stǣġer, from Proto-Germanic staigriz, from Proto-Indo-European steyǵʰ- — to go.
understairs (English): A basement or cellar constructed, or accessed,...
Definitions
- A basement or cellar constructed, or accessed,...
Ancestry of “understairs”, step by step
understairs traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stairs
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stairs | plural of stair; API pl; A contiguous set of... |
| 2 | English | stair | A single step in a staircase; A series of steps;... |
| 3 | Middle English | steire | staircase, stairs; stair, step; ladder |
| 4 | Old English | stǣġer | stair, staircase |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | staigriz | scaffold, platform; stairs |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | steyǵʰ- | to go |