Etymograph

English

steven

Steven comes from Middle English steven ‘voice, command, constitution’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *stómn̥ ‘mouth, muzzle’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stómn̥originally‘mouth, muzzle’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*stebnō‘voice’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*stebnu‘voice’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150stefn‘voice’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500steven‘voice, command, constitution’
  6. Englishearliest quotation a. 1500same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stómn̥originally‘mouth, muzzle’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*stebnō‘voice’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*stebnu‘voice’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150stefn‘voice’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500steven‘voice, command, constitution’
  6. Englishearliest quotation a. 1500same form

Earliest quotation: a. 1500, "Hymns to Virgin: “To thee, lady, y make my moon; I praie…”

The story

From Middle English steven (‘voice, command, constitution’), from Old English stefn (‘voice’), from Proto-West Germanic *stebnu, from Proto-Germanic *stebnō (‘voice’), earlier *stemnā, derived from Proto-Indo-European *stómn̥ (‘mouth, muzzle; (originally) hole?’).

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *stómn̥

Today it means

noun Voice, especially when loud or strong.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *stómn̥ / steven

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