Where does “unsteady” come from?

Unsteady derives from English steady, ultimately from Latin unus meaning "one," traceable through Proto-Indo-European óynos and related roots expressing unity and negation.

unsteady (English): Not held firmly in position, physically unstable;...

Definitions

  1. Not held firmly in position, physically unstable;...

Ancestry of “unsteady”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsteadyFirm in standing or position; not tottering or...
2Old Englishstæþþiġ—
3Old Englishstæþstead, bank; bank, shore
4Proto-Germanicstaþaz—

Words derived from “unsteady”

Every word from Proto-Germanic staþaz →Every word from Old English stæþ →Every word from Old English stæþþiġ →