Where does “distaff” come from?

distaff (Middle English) comes from Middle English distaf, from Old English distæf, from Old English stæf, from Proto-West Germanic stab, from Proto-Germanic stabaz, from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ- — to stand still; to harden.

distaff (Middle English): Alternative form of distaf

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of distaf

Ancestry of “distaff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdistafA distaff; a staff for spinning
2Old Englishdistæfdistaff
3Old Englishstæfstaff; letter, written character
4Proto-West Germanicstabstaff; letter
5Proto-Germanicstabazstaff, stick
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstebʰ-to stand still; to harden
Every word from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic stabaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic stab →