Where does “stay” come from?
stay (Middle English) comes from Old French estaye, from Middle Dutch staeye, from Middle Dutch staede, from Old Dutch stad, from Proto-Germanic stadiz, from Proto-Indo-European stéh₂tis, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.
stay (Middle English): A stay
Ancestry of “stay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | estaye | prop, support |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | staeye | a prop, stay |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | staede | — |
| 4 | Old Dutch | stad | a site, place, location, standing |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stadiz | place, location |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stéh₂tis | standing, position |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |