Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/371

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uncertain. To this is allied the ModHG. collective Gestirn, n., ‘stars, constellation,’ from MidHG. gestirne, OHG. gistirni. —

Stern, m., ‘stern,’ ModHG. only, comes from the equiv. E. stern (OIc. stjórn), a derivative of the root of Steuern.

Sterz, m., ‘tail, rump, plough handle,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. stërz, m.; corresponding to Du. staart, AS. steort, E. start. A Teut. root stert, ‘to project' or ‘to turn ‘(see Stürzen), has been assumed to explain the cognates; others connect it with Gr. στόρθη, ‘prong, projecting point.’

stet, adj., ‘fixed, stable, constant,’ from the equiv. MidHG. stæte, OHG. stâti, adj. (see the following word); a verbal adj. from the root sta in stehen (lit. ‘that which can stand'). To this is allied stets, adv., ‘steadily, constantly, always,’ from the equiv. MidHG. stætes, properly a gen. of the adj.

stetig, adj., ‘constant, continual,’ from MidHG. stætec (g), with the variant stæte (OHG. stâti), adj., ‘firm, constant, stable'; properly a verbal adj. of stehen. Comp. the preceding word.

Steuer (1.), f., ‘aid, tax, duty, impost,’ from MidHG. stiure, OHG. stiura, f., ‘duty, tax,’ properly ‘aid, contribution, support, help.’ With these general meanings the following word is connected.

Steuer (2.), n., ‘rudder, helm,’ from the equiv. late MidHG. (MidG.) stiure, n.; properly a LG. word, originally belonging only to the Teutons on the sea-coast (in OHG. stiura, f., ‘rudder, stern'); comp. stuur, ‘rudder,’ AS. steór, n. (E. stern, see under Stern), OIc. stýre, n., ‘helm.’ To this is allied steuern, ‘to steer, pilot,’ which originated under the influence of the substantive Steuer, from MidHG. and OHG. stiuren, ‘to guide, lead, support'; comp. Du. stieren, sturen, AS. stŷran, E. to steer, and the equiv. OIc. stýra (Goth. stiurjan), ‘to fix firmly, maintain.’ These cognates, on account of their undoubted connection with Steuer, f., ‘duty' (lit. ‘support’?), have been linked with OIc. starr, ‘stake,’ and the equiv. Gr. σταυρός.

Stich, m., ‘prick, thrust,’ from MidHG. stich, OHG. stih (hh), m., ‘prick, point’ (comp. Goth. stiks, ‘period of time’), from this root stik (see stehen). To this Stichel, m., ‘graving tool, graver,’ from MidHG. stichel, OHG. stihhil, m., ‘sting,’ is allied. —

sticheln, vb., ‘to prick, stitch,’ is an intensive of stechen by association with Stich.

sticken, vb., ‘to stitch, embroider,’ from MidHG. sticken, OHG. sticchen (from Teut. *stikjan), wk. vb., ‘to pierce, thrust, stitch, embroider.’ Originally a variant of stikan, ‘to pierce,’ from the root stik (see stechen, Stich); comp. E. to stitch, from AS. *sticcan, Du. stikken. — To this ersticken, ‘to choke, suffocate,’ from the equiv. MidHG. ersticken, OHG. irsticchen, is allied.

stieben, vb., ‘to fly as dust, scatter, disperse,’ from the equiv. MidHG. stieben, OHG. stiuban, str. vb. Allied to Du. stuiven, and the cognates of Staub; see the latter and stöbern.

Stief- in compounds is preserved throughout the Teut. group only as the first component; comp. MidHG. stiefbruoder, -kind, -muoter, -sun, -swester, -tohter, -vater; OHG. stiuf-bruoder, -chint, &c. (Du. stief-broeder, -kind, &c.). Corresponding to AS. steóp-sunu, -fœder, E. step-father, &c.; OIc. stjúpfaðer. That the word was used by itself at an earlier period is indicated by the derivatives OHG. stiufen, irstiufen, bistiufen, ‘to rob one of his relatives (parents or children),’ AS. âstŷpan, ‘to rob.’ All further clue to its early history is unfortunately wanting.

Stiefel, m., ‘boot,’ from the equiv. MidHG. stivel, stivâl (OHG. stivâl?), m.; the MidHG. variant stivâl points clearly to a loan-word from the equiv. Ital. stivále, m. (for v equiv. to MidHG. v, f, comp. Vers, Käfig), lit. ‘a light summer covering made of leather for the feet’ (from MidLat. œstivale, ‘pertaining to summer’). The word was borrowed in HG. (it does not occur in the other Teut. dialects), probably in the 12th cent.

Stiege (1.), f., ‘stair, staircase,’ from the equiv. MidHG. stiege, OHG. stiega, f.; the same as Steg; the broken MidHG. ie is similar to MidHG. wiege, ‘cradle,’ and schiec, ‘awry’ (see schief).

Stiege (2.), f. (dial. Steig), in the sense of ‘score,’ has been derived from the allied MidHG. stîge, f., ‘stall for small cattle’ (Swe. stia, ‘piasty’), it being assumed that a stall contained twenty sheep. Yet it is remarkable that the Crim. Goth. stega was used in the 16th cent. in the sense of ‘score’ (comp. Shock; E. score, lit. ‘notch’; Du. snees, ‘score,’ lît, ‘row, series’).

Stieglitz, m., ‘goldfinch,’ from the equiv. MidHG. stigliz, stigeliz (tz) m.; a Slav. loan-word; comp. Czech stehlec (stehlic), ‘thistle-finch,’ and also Kiebiß.