An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Stoppel

by Friedrich Kluge

Stoppel, f., ‘stubble,’ properly a MidG. and LG. form; in genuine HG. we have UpG. štupfel, from MidHG. stupfel, OHG. stupfila, f.; comp. the equiv. Du. stoppel, E. stubble, and OSwed. stubb. Whether the cognates are borrowed from Lat. stipula (late Lat. stupila, equiv. to Ital. stoppio, Fr. étouble, ‘stubble’) is uncertain; nor has it been decided what connection there is between the Teut. word and its non-Teut. representatives (such as OSlov. 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 OIc. stúpa, ‘to project’ (to which E. 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, E. stub, and OIc. stúfr, stúfe, ‘stump,’ presume a Teut. root stū̆p, stū̆b, ‘to hew off.’