stalwart

stalwart · adjective, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wert-“to rotate, turn”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*steh₂-“to stand (up)”
3. Old English · derived fromstǣlwierþe“able to stand in good stead, serviceable”
4. Middle English · derived fromstal-worth“physically strong, hardy, robust; brave, courageous”
5. Scots · borrowed fromstalwart
6. English todaystalwart

Borrowed from Scots stalwart under the influence of Walter Scott, displacing earlier stalworth, wherewith it forms a doublet. From Middle English stal-worth (“physically strong, hardy, robust; brave, courageous”), from Old English stǣlwierþe (“able to stand in good stead, serviceable”), probably from staþol (“establishment; foundation”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”)) or stǣl (“place; condition, stead”) + -wierþe (“able to, capable of”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to rotate, turn”)).

Stalwart · noun²

From stalwart.

Words from the same roots