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

Definitions

  1. A stay

Ancestry of “stay”, step by step

stay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French estaye

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchestayeprop, support
2Middle Dutchstaeyea prop, stay
3Middle Dutchstaede—
4Old Dutchstada site, place, location, standing
5Proto-Germanicstadizplace, location
6Proto-Indo-Europeanstéh₂tisstanding, position
7Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-—

via Old English stæġ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishstæġstay, a rope supporting a mast; rope, stay
2Proto-Germanicstagąa stay
3Proto-Indo-Europeanstek-to stand, stell, hold; to be firm, stand fast
4Proto-Indo-Europeanstā-to stand, place
5Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “stay”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European stéh₂tis →Every word from Proto-Germanic stadiz →