Where does “stile” come from?
stile (Middle English) comes from Old French estile, from Latin stylus, from Latin stilus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- — to be sharp; to sting.
stile (Middle English): stile; A rung or bar of a ladder; A stylus, pen,...
Definitions
- stile; A rung or bar of a ladder; A stylus, pen,...
Ancestry of “stile”, step by step
stile traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French estile
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | estile | style; manner; fashion |
| 2 | Latin | stylus | Alternative form of stilus |
| 3 | Latin | stilus | A pointed instrument; stake, pale, spike; A... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teyg- | to be sharp; to sting |
via Old English stiġel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | stiġel | stile, set of steps for getting over a fence |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *stigilu | a device used for climbing (over); stile |
via Medieval Latin stylus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | stylus | Alternative form of stilus |