Where does “step” come from?

step (Middle English) comes from Middle English steppe, from Old English stæpe, from Proto-Germanic stapiz, from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ‑ — to stand still.

step (Middle English): Alternative form of steppe

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of steppe

Ancestry of “step”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsteppeA step, pace; A step or stair; an individual...
2Old Englishstæpestep; degree
3Proto-Germanicstapiza step
4Proto-Indo-Europeanstebʰ‑to stand still
Every word from Proto-Indo-European stebʰ‑ →Every word from Proto-Germanic stapiz →Every word from Old English stæpe →