Where does “still” come from?
still (Middle English) comes from Old French estile, from Latin stylus, from Latin stilus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- — to be sharp; to sting.
Ancestry of “still”, step by step
still 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 French style
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | style | — |
via Old French stile
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | stile | — |
Words derived from “still”