Where does “steven” come from?
steven (Scots) comes from Middle English stewin, from Old English stefn, from Proto-West Germanic *stamni, from Proto-Germanic stamniz, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.
steven (Scots): voice; a loud outcry
Ancestry of “steven”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stewin | — |
| 2 | Old English | stefn | voice; Alternative form of stemn |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *stamni | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | stamniz | stem, tree stalk |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |