stæger

stæger¹ stair

Pronunciation

• /ˈstæː.jer/^[1]

Forms

stǣġer f or n (strong ō-stem; genitive singular stǣġere, nominative plural stǣġera)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the stair is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *staigri, from Proto-Germanic *staigriz (“stair, scaffolding”).^[1][2] Köbler sets it beside Middle Low German steiger (“scaffolding”),^[3] and Etymonline adds Middle Dutch stegher and Dutch steiger (“scaffold, quay”).^[4] Wiktionary takes the Proto-Germanic noun as a nominalisation of the adjective *staigraz (“rising, steep”), the source of stæger².^[1]

The family belongs to the strong verb stīgan (“to climb, ascend”), from *stīganą, and to the root Proto-Indo-European *steygʰ- (“to stride, climb”), which is also behind Ancient Greek στείχω (steíkhō, “to march, go”).^[5][2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first dated record is in Ælfric's Lives of Saints, in a manuscript of the early eleventh century, where Sebastian astah þa up to þære stægre þe stod wið þæs caseres botl “then climbed up the stair that stood by the emperor's palace”.^[7][8][9]

Semantic evolution

Bosworth and Toller define it as a staircase, and it glosses Latin “ascensorium”.^[9] In Gregory's Dialogues trum stæger mid gewissum stapum “a firm stair with sure steps” leads from the lower floor of a tower to the upper one, rendering “ascensus”.^[6][10] Early Middle English texts use steire both for a flight of steps and for a single step.^[9] It is now English stair.^[4]

Timeline

• s. xi in. – astah þa up to þære stægre in Ælfric's Lives of Saints.^[7][8]
• s. xi¹ – trum stæger mid gewissum stapum in Gregory's Dialogues (Hatton 76).^[10][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. a staircase, a flight of stairs.^[9][11]
2. a stair, a step.^[1][2]

Descendants

• Middle English steire (→ English stair; Scots stair)^[1]

stæger² steep

Pronunciation

• /ˈstæ.jer/^[1]

Forms

stæger^[1]

Etymology

The adjective “steep” is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *staigr, from Proto-Germanic *staigraz (“rising, steep”).^[1] Orel lists beside it Middle Low German stēger (“steep”) and an Old Norse adverb steigurliga (“prudishly”), and derives the adjective from the verb *stīganą (“to climb”).^[12] Wiktionary forms it with the suffix *-raz from *staigijaną (“to raise up”).^[1]

Semantic evolution

In Old English the adjective is recorded only as the second part of wiþerstǣġer (“steep, hard to climb”), which glosses Latin praerupti.^[13] Köbler therefore marks the simplex as unrecorded.^[14] It survives as Middle English steire “steep”, first in a homily of about 1175: Þe wæȝ is swiðe heah & swiðe stæȝre þe lædeþ us to heofenæ “the way that leads us to heaven is very high and very steep”.^[15]

Timeline

• c. 1175 – Middle English swiðe stæȝre in a homily in Bodley 343.^[15]
• c. 1400 – brode and stayre in Pearl.^[15]

Meanings

Adjective

1. steep.^[9][1]

Word family

• wiþerstǣġer

Descendants

• Middle English stayre^[1]