Origin and history of stow

c. 1300, stouen, "to put, place (somewhere), put in a (suitable or convenient) place or position," verbal use of Old English noun stow "a place, spot, site, locality" (common in place names), from Proto-Germanic *stowo- (source also of Old Frisian sto "place," Middle Low German, Middle Dutch stouwen, Dutch stuwen "to stow," Old High German stouwen "to stop, check," German stauen "to stow, pack; bring to a halt, hem in"). This is considered to be from PIE *stau- "stout, standing, strong," extended form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm" (source also of Old Church Slavonic stavljo "to place," Lithuanian stoviu, stovėti "to stand").

It is attested by early 14c. as "lodge, provide quarters for (a person or animal;" the nautical sense of "put away to be stored, pack" (gear, in a ship) is by late 14c., reinforced later by Dutch stouwen "to cram, pack up close." Related: Stowed; stowing.