Where does “stecken” come from?
stecken (Middle High German) comes from Old High German steckōn, from Old High German stehhan, from Proto-West Germanic stekan, from Proto-Germanic stikaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)teyg- — to be sharp; to sting.
Ancestry of “stecken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | steckōn | — |
| 2 | Old High German | stehhan | to stick, attach, nail |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | stekan | to pierce, to stab, to stick |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | stikaną | to stick; to stab |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teyg- | to be sharp; to sting |