English
stem
Stem comes from Proto-Germanic *stamniz ‘stem, tree stalk’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand, stay’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand, stay’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*stamniz‘stem, tree stalk’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*stamnireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150stemn
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stem
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand, stay’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*stamniz‘stem, tree stalk’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*stamnireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150stemn
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stem
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Both we will walke vpon the loftie cliffes, And…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand, stay’
state, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, assistant, assistance, stadium, constitution, instance, establishment, establish, stood, stable, assist, stability, consistent, instant, destination, substance, contest, destiny, distant, resist, static, testimony, insist, consist, prostitution, persistent, stationary, stud, persist, extant, substitution, prostitute, stool, stamina, stale, 158 more
Another origin of stem
- Old Norsec. 800–1350stemma‘to stop, stem, dam’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stemmen
- Englishtodaystem
Today it means
noun The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / stem