Where does “Stiefmütterchen” come from?
Stiefmütterchen (German) comes from German Stiefmütter, from German stief-, from Middle High German stief-, from Old High German stiof-, from Proto-Germanic steupa-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tewp-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- — to push, to hit.
Stiefmütterchen (German): Diminutive of Stiefmutter; pansy
Definitions
- Diminutive of Stiefmutter; pansy
Ancestry of “Stiefmütterchen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Stiefmütter | plural of Stiefmutter |
| 2 | German | stief- | step-; a prefix indicating the individual being... |
| 3 | Middle High German | stief- | — |
| 4 | Old High German | stiof- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | steupa- | step- |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewp- | to push, to stick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |