Etymograph

English

Steven

Steven 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. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400Estievne
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Stevene
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1989Steven

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. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400Estievne
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Stevene
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1989Steven

Earliest quotation: 1989, Ann Beattie, Picturing Will: “His first name was probably Steve or Ed. No,…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek Στέφανος ‘crown, wreath’

stephane, 3 more

Today it means

name A male given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Stephen.

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

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

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