Where does “staff” come from?

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

staff (Middle English): Alternative form of staf

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of staf

Ancestry of “staff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishstafA staff, rod or pole; a relatively long, narrow,...
2Old Englishstæfstaff; letter, written character
3Proto-West Germanicstabstaff; letter
4Proto-Germanicstabazstaff, stick
5Proto-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 →