steop-

Middle English

Prefix

steop-

1. alternative form of step-

Old English

Alternative forms

• stēp-

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *steupa- (“bereft, pushed out”).

Akin to Old Frisian stiap-, Old High German stiof- (German stief-), Old Norse stjup- (Swedish styv-), Middle Low German stef-, Dutch stief-, Old English āstīepan (“to bereave, orphan”), bestīepan (“to deprive of children”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈste͜oːp/

Prefix

stēop-

1. deprived of a relative
2. step-

Usage notes

• Originally used with children to denote loss of a parent; later extended to adoptive parents.

Derived terms

• stēopbearn
• stēopċild
• stēopdohtor
• stēopfæder
• stēopmōdor
• stēopsunu

Descendants

• Middle English: steop-, step-, stappe-, ste-
  • English: step-
  • Scots: step-