steel

英文词源

steel

steel: [OE] Steel is etymologically a ‘firm’ substance. The word goes back to a prehistoric West Germanic *stakhlam, which was derived from the Germanic base *stakh-, *stagh- ‘be firm’ (source also of English stay ‘rope, support’). It has Germanic relatives in German stahl and Dutch staal.
=> stay

steel (n.)

modified form of iron with a small portion of carbon, not found in nature but known in ancient times, Old English style "steel," from noun use of Proto-Germanic adjective *stakhlijan "made of steel" (cognates: Old Saxon stehli, Old Norse, Middle Low German stal, Danish staal, Swedish stål, Middle Dutch stael, Dutch staal, Old High German stahal, German Stahl), related to *stakhla "standing fast," from PIE *stek-lo-, from root *stak- "to stand, place, be firm" (see stay (n.1)). The notion is perhaps "that which stands firm." No corresponding word exists outside Germanic except those likely borrowed from Germanic languages.

As an adjective from c. 1200 (Old English used stylen "*steel-en." Steel wool is attested from 1896. Steel drum is from 1952.

steel (v.)

"make hard or strong like steel," 1580s, earliest use is figurative, from steel (n.). Old English lacked the verb but had styled "made of steel." Related: Steeled; steeling.