Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “stool” come from?

stool (Middle English) comes from Old English stōl, from Proto-West Germanic *stōl, from Proto-Germanic stōlaz, from Proto-Indo-European stoh₂los, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.

Ancestry of “stool”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishstōlchair, seat, throne
2Proto-West Germanic*stōl—
3Proto-Germanicstōlazstool; throne; chair
4Proto-Indo-Europeanstoh₂losframe, rack, stand
5Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “stool”

  • stool
  • footstool
  • campstool
  • destoolment
  • stoole
  • stepstool
  • enstoolment
  • stoolie
  • destool
  • enstool
  • birthstool
  • frithstool
  • nightstool
  • stooly
  • kickstool
  • pedal stool
  • close stoole
  • step stool
  • টুল
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →