Where does “stale” come from?
stale (Middle English) comes from Old French estal, from Middle Dutch stal, from Old Dutch stāl, from Old Dutch stahal, from Proto-Germanic stahlą, from Proto-Germanic stah-, from Proto-Indo-European stāk-, from Proto-Indo-European stā- — to stand.
stale (Middle English): theft; the act of stealing; stealth
Definitions
- theft; the act of stealing; stealth
Ancestry of “stale”, step by step
stale traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French estal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | estal | position, place, site; stall, stable |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | stal | standing; market stall; stable |
| 3 | Old Dutch | stāl | — |
| 4 | Old Dutch | stahal | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stahlą | steel |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | stah- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | stāk- | stand, pole |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stā- | to stand, place |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |