Where does “Stalin” come from?
Stalin (Italian) comes from Russian Ста́лин, from Russian сталь, from Dutch staal, from Middle Dutch stael, from Old French estal, from Middle Dutch stal, from Old Dutch stāl, from Old Dutch stahal — to stand.
Ancestry of “Stalin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Russian | Ста́лин | Stalin |
| 2 | Russian | сталь | steel |
| 3 | Dutch | staal | steel; sample |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | stael | — |
| 5 | Old French | estal | position, place, site; stall, stable |
| 6 | Middle Dutch | stal | standing; market stall; stable |
| 7 | Old Dutch | stāl | — |
| 8 | Old Dutch | stahal | — |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | stahlą | steel |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | stah- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | stāk- | stand, pole |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | stā- | to stand, place |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |