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Origin and history of stilt

stilt(n.)

early 14c. (late 13c. in surnames), "a wooden crutch, prop used in walking," also "handle of a plow, an artificial leg." It is a common Germanic word (Norwegian stilta, Danish stylte, Swedish stylta, Old Frisian stult, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch stelte, Dutch stelt "stilt, wooden leg," Flemish stilte "stick," Old High German stelza "plow handle, crutch"), but the exact relationship of the cognates is unclear.

It is presumed to be from a Proto-Germanic *steltijon, from an extended form of PIE root *stel- "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place.

The application to wooden poles for walking across marshy ground, etc. is from mid-15c. The meaning "one of the posts on which a building is raised from the ground" is attested by 1690s.

As a type of bird with long legs, from 1831. Stilted as "elevated or supported by stilts" and, figuratively, "formal and stiff," is early 19c.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to stilt

stilted(adj.)

1610s, "having stilts," formed as if from a past participle of a verb from stilt (n.). The sense of "elevated or supported by stilts" is from 1800; the figurative sense of "pompous, stuffy, formal and stiff" (elevated as if on stilts) is recorded by 1774.

*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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