An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Stoppel

by Friedrich Kluge

Stoppel, feminine, ‘stubble,’ properly a Middle German and Low German form; in genuine High German we have Upper German štupfel, from Middle High German stupfel, Old High German stupfila, feminine; compare the equivalent Dutch stoppel, English stubble, and Old Swedish stubb. Whether the cognates are borrowed from Latin stipula (late Latin stupila, equivalent to Italian stoppio, French étouble, ‘stubble’) is uncertain; nor has it been decided what connection there is between the Teutonic word and its non-Teutonic representatives (such as Old Slovenian stĭblo, ‘stubble’). On the other hand, the root syllable of Stoppel with that of stopfen may point to Aryan stup, ‘to prick, pierce,’ or rather it may with Old Icelandic stúpa, ‘to project’ (to which English steeple, from steep, is allied), be traced back to primary meaning, ‘to stand out rigid, jut, project.’ It might also be connected with the nasalised cognates of Stump, which, with Swiss stṻbes, English stub, and Old Icelandic stúfr, stúfe, ‘stump,’ presume a Teutonic root stū̆p, stū̆b, ‘to hew off.’