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Origin and history of stout

stout(adj.)

c. 1300, stoute, "valiant, brave," also "proud, haughty; skilled in battle; fierce, cruel," senses now obsolete, from Old French estout "brave, fierce, proud," earlier estolt "strong," from a Germanic source from West Germanic *stult- "proud, stately, strutting" (source also of Middle Low German stolt "stately, proud," German stolz "proud, haughty, arrogant, stately"). This is reconstructed to be from PIE root *stel- "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place.

The meaning "strong in body, powerfully built," in reference to a person or animal, is attested from c. 1300 and developed as a major sense by 15c., but it largely has been displaced by the (often euphemistic) meaning "thick-bodied, fat and large, bulky in figure," which is recorded by 1804. Of things, "strongly built, solid," from c. 1400.

The oldest sense is preserved in figurative phrase stout-hearted "having a brave heart, of undaunted courage" (1550s). The Germanic group also seems to have had a sense development toward "stupid," as in Middle Low German stolz, Dutch stout, which also could mean "stupid," perhaps by influence of Italian stolto "silly," from Latin stultus. Related: Stoutly; stoutness.

stout(n.)

1670s, "strong beer or ale," from stout (adj.). Later especially, and now usually, "porter of extra strength" (by 1762).

also from 1670s

Entries linking to stout

*stel-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place.

It might form all or part of: apostle; catastaltic; diastole; epistle; forestall; Gestalt; install; installment; pedestal; peristalsis; peristaltic; stale (adj.); stalk (n.); stall (n.1) "place in a stable for animals;" stall (n.2) "pretense to avoid doing something;" stall (v.1) "come to a stop, become stuck;" stallage; stallion; stele; stell; still (adj.); stilt; stole (n.); stolid; stolon; stout; stultify; systaltic; systole.

It might also be the source of: Greek stellein "to put in order, make ready; equip or dress with weapons, clothes, etc.; prepare (for a journey), dispatch; to furl (sails);" Armenian stełc-anem "to prepare, create;" Albanian shtiell "to wind up, reel up, collect;" Old Church Slavonic po-steljo "I spread;" Old Prussian stallit "to stand;" Old English steall "standing place, stable," Old High German stellen "to set, place."

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    Trends of stout

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    stalwart
    late 14c., of persons, "resolute, determined," a Scottish variant of Middle English stalworth, "physically strong, powerful," also "brave, courageous, valiant," which is from Old English stælwierðe "good, serviceable." This probably is a contracted compound of staðol "base, found
    hardy
    c. 1200, "bold, daring, fearless," also "presumptuous, audacious," from Old French hardi "bold, brave, courageous; confident, presumptuous," from past participle of hardir "to harden, be or make bold," from Frankish *hardjan "to make hard" (source also of Old Frisian herda, Old H
    spar
    early 14c., sparre, "common rafter of a roof;" late 14c., "stout, long pole," from or cognate with Middle Low German or Middle...In nautical use, "piece of timber used on a ship," mid-14c.; the specific sense in reference to a stout, round pole used...
    bolt
    Old English bolt "short, stout arrow with a heavy head;" also "crossbow for throwing bolts," from Proto-Germanic *bultas...Applied since Middle English to other short metal rods (especially those with knobbed ends): the meanings "stout pin for...
    pachy-
    word-forming element in science meaning "thick, large, massive," from Latinized form of Greek pakhys "thick, fat, well-fed, dense, stout...
    valence
    early 15c., "extract, preparation," from Latin valentia "strength, capacity," from valentem (nominative valens) "strong, stout...
    hydra
    name of the many-headed Lernaean water serpent slain by Herakles in Greek mythology, late 14c., idre, from Greek Hydra, fem. of hydros "water-snake," from hydor "water" (from suffixed form of PIE root *wed- (1) "water; wet"). The word is etymologically related to Sanskrit udrah "
    lea
    Old English leah "open field, meadow, piece of untilled grassy ground," earlier læch, preserved in place names, from Proto-Germanic *lauhaz (source also of Old High German loh "clearing," and probably also Flemish -loo, which forms the second element in Waterloo), from PIE *louko
    ale
    "intoxicating liquor made by malt fermentation," Old English ealu "ale, beer," from Proto-Germanic *aluth- (source also of Old Saxon alo, Old Norse öl), which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a PIE root meaning "bitter" (source also of Latin alumen "alum"), or from PIE *alu-t

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