Stein (German)
Where does "Stein" come from?
The German word "stein" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *steyh₂-, which conveyed the sense of stiffening or standing firm. Throughout its history, it evolved through Proto-Germanic and Old High German into the modern term that denotes not only rock and stone, but also diverse concepts like fruit pits and even beer mugs. It serves as a linguistic cousin to the English word "stone," showcasing how a single ancestral root can shape the vocabulary of many modern Germanic languages.
Full etymology tree
- Stein (German), 'stone, rock'
- inherited stein (Middle High German), 'stone'
- inherited stein (Old High German), 'stone'
- inherited *stain (Proto-West Germanic), 'stone'
- inherited *stainaz (Proto-Germanic), 'stone'
- inherited *stoyh₂nos (Pre-Germanic)
- derived *steyh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stiffen'
- derived *steh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stand (up)'
- derived *steyh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stiffen'
- inherited *stoyh₂nos (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *stainaz (Proto-Germanic), 'stone'
- inherited *stain (Proto-West Germanic), 'stone'
- inherited stein (Old High German), 'stone'
- inherited stein (Middle High German), 'stone'
Ancestors
- stein (Middle High German)
- stein (Old High German)
- *stain (Proto-West Germanic)
- *stainaz (Proto-Germanic)
Cognates and doublets
- sten (Danish)
- steen (Dutch)
- stone (English)
- 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (Gothic)
- Steen (Saterland Frisian)
- sten (Swedish)
- stien (West Frisian)
- שטיין (Yiddish)
Descendants and derived words
- Alaunstein (German)
- als Baustein betrachtet (German)
- Auftropfstein (German)
- Backstein (German)
- Basaltgestein (German)
- Baustein (German)
- Bernstein (German)
- Bernstein (German)
- Bordstein (German)
- Brauneisenstein (German)
- Braunstein (German)
- Brechweinstein (German)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris