stench

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*stengʷ-“to push, thrust”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*stankwiz“smell, fragrance, odor”
3. Old English · inherited fromstenċ“stench, odor, fragrance”
4. Middle English · inherited fromstench
5. English todaystench

From Middle English stench, from Old English stenċ (“stench, odor, fragrance”), from Proto-Germanic *stankwiz (“smell, fragrance, odor”), from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- (“to push, thrust”). Cognate with Dutch stank (“stench, odor”), German Stank, Gestank (“stench, odor, smell”), Danish stank (“stench”), Swedish stank (“stench”), Icelandic stækja (“stench”).

Words from the same roots