Where does “stehlen” come from?
stehlen (Low German) comes from Middle Dutch stēlen, from Old Dutch stelan, from Proto-Germanic stelaną, from Proto-Indo-European tsel- — to sneak.
stehlen (Low German): to steal; to skulk, to move secretly
Definitions
- to steal; to skulk, to move secretly
Ancestry of “stehlen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | stēlen | — |
| 2 | Old Dutch | stelan | to steal |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | stelaną | to steal; to sneak |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tsel- | to sneak |