Etymograph

English

Stephen

Stephen comes from Ancient Greek Στέφανος ‘crown, wreath’, from στέφω ‘to put round, to surround’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stegʷʰ- ‘to enlace’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stegʷʰ-‘to enlace’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stégʷʰetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*stékʷʰō‘to enlace, crown, encircle’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστέφωstéphō‘to put round, to surround’next step skipped: Ancient Greek στέφανος
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΣτέφανοςStéphanos‘crown, wreath’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEStephanus
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1611Stephen

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stegʷʰ-‘to enlace’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stégʷʰetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*stékʷʰō‘to enlace, crown, encircle’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστέφωstéphō‘to put round, to surround’next step skipped: Ancient Greek στέφανος
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΣτέφανοςStéphanos‘crown, wreath’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEStephanus
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1611Stephen

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And Steuen full of faith and power, did great…”

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *stegʷʰ-

Today it means

name The first Christian martyr.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *stegʷʰ- / Stephen

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