English

half-step

From half- + step.

Formed from half- + step

Proto-Germanic *halbaz ‘half’

Proto-Germanic *halba-

English half-

Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- ‘to support’

Proto-Germanic *stapjaną ‘to step’

Proto-West Germanic *stappjan ‘to step’

Old English steppan ‘to step’

Middle English steppen ‘to step’

English step

Today it means

verb To back down from; fail to follow through or complete; to be slack

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

Etymograph / half-step