An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Stelle

by Friedrich Kluge

Stelle, feminine, ‘place, spot, situation, office,’ from Middle High German stal, masculine, ‘standing-place’ (compare Stall), or more probably a recent derivative of stellen, Middle High German and Old High German stęllen, ‘to put up, erect, fix, establish,’ a denominate of Teutonic stallo-, ‘standing place,’ discussed under Stall. From the Aryan root stel, ‘to stand’ (an extended form of Aryan stā̆, see stehen), compare Stuhl and Stiel, and especially Greek στέλλω, ‘to put, send,’ στόλος, ‘expedition,’ Sanscrit sthûna (for sthulṇa), ‘pillar,’ sthal, ‘to stand firm.’ To this word stillen and Stolle are also allied.