"S" Word Origins

sticker

Origin

From stick plus the agent suffix -er — literally, "something that sticks."

stickle

Origin

From Middle English *stikel, *stykyl (in compounds), from Old English sticel (“a prickle, sting, goad”), from Proto-Germanic *stiklaz, *stikilaz (“sting, stinger, peak, cup, goblet”), related to the verb *stikaną (“to stick”). Cognate with Dutch stekel, Icelandic stikill, Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌺𐌻𐍃 (stikls) (whence Russian стекло́ (stekló, “glass”), Polish szkło (“glass”), Lithuanian sti̇̀klas, Romanian sticlă).

stickler

Middle English

From Middle English stightlere, related to "stickle"; originally the referee at Cornish wrestling matches, who carried a stick as a badge of office.

stickup

Origin

A noun formed from the phrasal verb "stick up," as in the classic command to raise one's hands.

sticky

Origin

From stick plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.

stiff

Latin

From Old English stif, from a Proto-Germanic root related to Latin stipes ("post" or "trunk") — the same root that gives English "stevedore."

stiffen

Middle English

From Middle English stifnen — "stiff" plus the verb-forming ending "-en", same pattern as "harden" or "soften".

stiffness

Old English

From Old English stīþnes, built from "stiff" plus the noun ending "-ness".

stiffy

Origin

From "stiff" plus the informal "-y" ending.

stifle

Old French

Traced back through Middle English "stuflen" to Old French "estouffer" ("to choke or suffocate"), the same root that gives modern French "étouffer".

stifler

Origin

From stifle + -er.

stig

Origin · 1963

The scruffy-person sense comes from Stig, the wild boy character in Clive King's 1963 children's book "Stig of the Dump".

stigma

Greek

From Greek stigma, "a mark made by a pointed instrument" — originally a brand burned into the skin of slaves or criminals.

stiletto

Latin

Borrowed from Italian stiletto, from Latin stilus ("a pointed writing instrument") — the same root as "stylus" and "style".

still

Old English

From Old English stille ("motionless, quiet"), from a very old Indo-European root meaning "to be silent or still" — related to "stall".

stillbirth

Origin

From still + birth.

stillborn

Origin · 1500

A compound of "still" (motionless) and "born", first recorded in English in the late 1500s.

stiller

Origin

Formed from "still" (to calm or quiet) plus the agent suffix "-er."

Stillman

Origin

From "still" (the distilling apparatus) plus "-man".

stillness

Old English

From Old English stilnes, built from "still" plus the noun ending "-ness".

Stillson

Origin · 1870

Named after Daniel Chapman Stillson, the American inventor who patented the tool in the 1870s.

Stillwell

Origin

From still + well.

stilt

Origin

From Middle English stilte, stulte, from Old English *stilte, *stylte, from Proto-Germanic *stiltijǭ, *staltijǭ, *stultijǭ (“stilt”), from Proto-Germanic *stelt- (“to be stiff”). Akin to Danish stylte, Dutch stelt, German Stelze.

stilted

Origin

From stilt + -ed.

Stilton

Origin

Named after the English village of Stilton, where the cheese was historically sold to travellers, though it was actually made elsewhere in the region.

stimulate

Latin

From Latin stimulatus, past participle of stimulare ("to goad or urge on"), from stimulus ("a sharp point or goad").

stimulation

Latin

From Latin stimulatio, built on the verb "stimulate".

stimulus

Latin

Borrowed directly from Latin stimulus, meaning "goad" or "prick" — the thing used to spur an ox forward.

sting

Old English

From Old English sting, related to a Germanic root shared with words describing a piercing thrust.

stinger

Origin

Formed from "sting" plus the agent suffix "-er".

stinging

Middle English

From Middle English styngyng; equivalent to sting + -ing.

stingray

Origin

A compound of "sting" and "ray", referring to the barbed tail of this flat fish.

stingy

Origin

Possibly a dialect variant related to "sting", suggesting a sharp, ungenerous nature.

stink

Old English

From Old English stincan, from an ancient Germanic root meaning "to push or strike" — related to the idea of a smell "hitting" you.

stinkard

Origin

From stink + -ard.

stinker

Origin

Formed from "stink" plus the agent suffix "-er".

stinkhole

Origin

From stink + hole.

stinking

Middle English

From Middle English stynkynge, stinkinge, stinkinde, stinkende, stynkande, stynkand, from Old English stincende, from Proto-Germanic *stinkwandz (“stinking”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *stinkwaną (“to stink”), equivalent to stink + -ing. Cognate with Dutch stinkend (“stinking, stinky”), German stinkend (“stinking, stinky”), Danish stinkende (“stinking, stinky”), Norwegian stinkende (“stinking, stinky”).

stinkpot

Origin

From stink + pot.

stinky

Middle English

From Middle English stinky, stynky, equivalent to stink + -y. Compare Dutch stinkig (“stinky, foul, rotten”), Low German stinkig (“stinking, stinky”), German stinkig (“stinky”), Hunsrik stinkich. Compare also Saterland Frisian stjunkerch (“stinky”), West Frisian stjonkerich (“stinky”).

stint

Old English

From Old English styntan ("to make blunt"), which developed the sense of limiting or restricting something.

stipe

Latin

From Latin stipes, meaning "a stock, post, or tree trunk".

stipend

Latin

From Latin stipendium, "military pay" or "tax," built from stips ("small contribution") and pendere ("to pay").

stipendiary

Origin

From Latin stipendiarius.

stipendiate

Origin

From Latin stipendiatus, past participle of stipendiari (“to receive pay”).

stipulate

Latin

From Latin stipulari, "to demand a formal promise" — the root of a legal contract.

stipulation

Latin

From Latin stipulatio, from stipulari, "to demand a formal promise."

stipule

Origin

From French, from Latin stipula (“stalk (of hay), straw”).