steven

steven · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*stómn̥“mouth, muzzle; (originally) hole?”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*stebnō“voice”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*stebnu
4. Old English · inherited fromstefn“voice”
5. Middle English · inherited fromsteven“voice, command, constitution”
6. English todaysteven

From Middle English steven (“voice, command, constitution”), from Old English stefn (“voice”), from Proto-West Germanic *stebnu, from Proto-Germanic *stebnō (“voice”), earlier *stemnā, derived from Proto-Indo-European *stómn̥ (“mouth, muzzle; (originally) hole?”). Cognate with Old Frisian stifne, stemme (“voice”), Old Saxon stemna (“voice”), Dutch stem, Old High German stimma, stimna (“voice”) (German Stimme), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌱𐌽𐌰 (stibna, “voice”), and more distantly Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma, “mouth”), Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬨𐬀𐬥 (staman, “maw”), and possibly Hittite 𒅖𒋫𒈪𒈾𒀸 (iš-ta-mi-na-aš /⁠stāminas⁠/, “ear”). See also stevvon. Displaced by voice.

steven · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*stebʰ-“a stake, post; to support, stamp, insist, become angry”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*stabnijaz
3. Old English · inherited fromstefn“a time, turn, tour of duty”
4. Middle English · inherited fromsteven“appointment”
5. English todaysteven

From Middle English steven (“appointment”), from Old English stefn (“a time, turn, tour of duty”), from Proto-Germanic *stabnijaz, *stabnijô (“fixed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“a stake, post; to support, stamp, insist, become angry”). Cognate with Middle Low German stevene (“a court appointment”), Old Norse stefna (“appointment, meeting”). More at staff.

Steven · proper noun³

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromΣτέφανος
2. Latin · derived fromStephanus
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromEstievne
4. Middle English · inherited fromStevene
5. English todaySteven

Inherited from Middle English Stevene, Steven, from Anglo-Norman Estievne, Estievene, from Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).

Words from the same roots