An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/stauen

by Friedrich Kluge

stauen, vb., ‘to dam in, stow away, pack,’ from MidHG. and OHG. stouwen, ‘to put a stop to, arrest, restrain’ (properly identical with MidHG. and OHG. stouwen, ‘to abuse, rate, accuse’?). Allied to ModHG. staunen, ‘to be amazed’ (orig. a Swiss word, adopted as a literary term in the last century), which is wanting in MidHG. and OHG. For the early history of stauen and staunen the older periods give no further clue, yet comp. root stū̆, ‘to look fixedly,’ under Staude.