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Origin and history of step

step(v.)

Middle English steppen, from Old English steppan (Anglian), stæppan (West Saxon) "take a step, move the legs and feet as in walking," from West Germanic *stapjanan "tread" (source also of Old Frisian stapa, Middle Dutch, Dutch stappen, Old High German stapfon, German stapfen "step").

This is said in Watkins, etc., to be from a PIE root *stebh- "post, stem; to support, place firmly on," for which see staff (n.); if so, from the same root are Old Church Slavonic stopa "step, pace," stepeni "step, degree." The notion might be "a treading firmly on; a foothold." But Boutkan deconstructs the relevant Pokorny entry, finds the group only in Germanic, and gives no IE etymology.

In general use, "to go a short distance." The transitive sense "to set or plant as in stepping" (as in step foot in, a form Century Dictionary labels "familiar") is attested from 1530s. Originally strong (past tense stop, past participle bestapen); weak forms stepped, stepping emerged 13c. and were exclusive from 16c.

To step out "leave for a short time" is from 1530s; the meaning "go out in public in style" is from 1907. Transitive step off "measure (a distance) by stepping" is by 1863. Step on it "hurry up" is 1923, it being the gas pedal of an automobile.

step(n.)

"a completed movement of the foot in walking," Old English steppa (Mercian), stæpe, stepe (West Saxon) "an act of stepping; a footprint," also "a stair, rung of a ladder," and by late Old English "manner of walking," from the source of step (v.). Compare Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Dutch stap, Old High German stapfo, German Stapfe "footstep").

Also "distance traversed by a step" (mid-13c.), which led to the use of step as a unit of linear measure (late 13c.) equivalent to about 2.5 feet or a half-pace. In dancing, from 1670s. The specific meaning "type of military pace" is from 1798.

It is attested from late Old English as "degree on a scale, degree in progress or advance," in virtue, sin, etc. The notion is perhaps of a step as a support for the foot in ascending or descending. The figurative meaning "action which leads toward a result, a proceeding in a series of them" is recorded from 1540s.

The warning phrase watch your step is attested from 1911; Wycliffe (late 14c.) has keep thy foot in essentially the same sense. Step by step indicating steady progression is from 1580s. To follow in (someone's) steps "follow the example of" is from mid-13c.

Entries linking to step

staff(n.)

Middle English staf, "stick or pole," especially one about 5 or 6 feet long and carried in the hand, from Old English stæf (plural stafas), "walking stick, strong pole used for carrying, rod used as a weapon, pastoral staff," probably originally *stæb, from Proto-Germanic *stab- (source also of Old Saxon staf, Old Norse stafr, Danish stav, Old Frisian stef, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch staf, Old High German stab, German Stab, Gothic *stafs "element;" Middle Dutch stapel "pillar, foundation").

This is reconstructed to be from PIE root *stebh- "post, stem, to support, place firmly on, fasten" (source also of Old Lithuanian stabas "idol," Lithuanian stiebas "staff, pillar;" Old Church Slavonic stoboru "pillar;" Sanskrit stabhnati "supports;" Greek stephein "to tie around, encircle, wreathe," staphyle "grapevine, bunch of grapes;" Old English stapol "post, pillar"). It is thus thought to be not connected to stiff.

Many extended senses are from the notion of "that which upholds or supports, that which sustains" such as staff of life "bread," from the Biblical phrase break the staff of bread meaning "cut off the supply of food" (Leviticus xxvi.26), translating Hebrew matteh lekhem. As "pole from which a flag is flown," 1610s. In reference to the horizontal lines in musical notation, from 1660s.

Sense of "group of military officers that assists a commander but are not in charge of troops" is attested from 1702, apparently from German, from the notion of the baton that is a badge of office or authority (a sense attested in English from 1530s); hence staff officer (1702), staff-sergeant (1811). In this sense staffs is the usual plural. The meaning "group of employees (as at an office or hospital)" is attested by 1837.

Old English stæf, in plural, was the common word for "letter of the alphabet, character," hence "writing, literature," and its use in Old English compounds having to do with writing, such as stæfcræft "grammar," stæfcræftig "lettered," stæflic "literary," stæfleahtor "grammatical error," with leahtor "vice, sin, offense."

stepping(n.)

early 14c., "action of striding or walking," verbal noun from step (v.). Stepping stone also is early 14c., originally as "a foot-stool," later "raised stone in a stream or wet place to preserve the shoes in crossing;" in the figurative sense by 1650s. Later it also could mean a horse-block or upping-stone (1837).