*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of stool

From Middle English stool, from Old English stōl (“chair, seat”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōl, from Proto-Germanic *stōlaz (“chair”), from Proto-Indo-European *stoh₂los (“frame, rack, stand”), from *steh₂- (“to stand”

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A seat for one person without a back or armrests. · A footstool. · A seat with a back; a chair. · A throne.

verb

To produce stool: to defecate. · To cut down (a plant) until its main stem is close to the ground, resembling a stool, to promote new growth. · To snitch, inform.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English stool, from Old English stōl (“chair, seat”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōl, from Proto-Germanic *stōlaz (“chair”), from Proto-Indo-European *stoh₂los (“frame, rack, stand”), from *steh₂- (“to stand”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian stuul, stölj, Stööl (“chear”), Saterland Frisian Stoul (“chear”), West Frisian stoel (“chair, seat”), Dutch stoel (“chair”), German Stuhl (“chair”), Low German Stohl (“chair”), Luxembourgish Stull (“chair”), Vilamovian śtül (“chair”), Yiddish שתוהל (shsuhl), שטול (shtul, “chair”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish stol (“chair”), Faroese stólur (“chair”), Icelandic stóll (“chair”), Crimean Gothic stul (“seat”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌻𐍃 (stōls, “chair; throne”), Russian стул (stul, “chair”), Estonian tool (“chair”), Finnish tuoli (“chair”); also Breton and Cornish sevel (“to erect, rise; to build; to lift; to compose; to earn”), Irish sáil, sál (“heel”), Scottish Gaelic sàil (“heel”), Welsh sefyll (“to stand; to stop; to sit”), Latin sistō (“to set; to stop; to stand; to stabilise”), Umbrian 𐌔𐌄𐌔𐌕𐌖 (sestu, “to place”), Greek στέκω (stéko), στέκομαι (stékomai, “to stand up”), Albanian shtoj (“to add; to augment; to accumulate”), Lithuanian stálas (“table”), Old Prussian stallan (“table”), Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian стол (stol, “table”), Czech stůl (“table”), Polish stół (“table”), Serbo-Croatian сто̑, сто̑л, stȏ, stȏl (“table”), Slovak stôl (“table”), Slovene stol (“chair”), Armenian երթալ (ertʻal), էթալ (ētʻal, “to go”), Central Kurdish ستوون (stûn, “column”), Pashto ستن (stən, “needle; awl; pin; syringe; post; hand; dragonfly”), Persian ایستادن (ēstādan / istâdan), وایسادن (vâysâdan), وایستادن (vâystâdan, “to stand up; to step; to stay”), ستون (sotun / sutūn, “column”), Northern Kurdish rawestîn (“to stand up”), stûn (“column”), Ossetian стын (styn, “to stand up”), Hittite 𒋾𒄑𒍣 (tiezzi, “to step; to place oneself”), Tocharian A ṣtäm- (“to stand”), Tocharian B stäm- (“to stand”), Sanskrit तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati, “to stand; to stay”). More at stand.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*steh₂-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "stool"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English stool"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "stōl",
        "t": "chair, seat"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English stōl (“chair, seat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*stōl"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *stōl"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*stōlaz",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *stōlaz (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "",
        "4": "*stoh₂los",
        "t": "frame, rack, stand"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *stoh₂los (“frame, rack, stand”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "frr",
        "2": "stuul"
      },
      "expansion": "North Frisian stuul"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "Stoul",
        "t": "chear"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian Stoul (“chear”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "stoel",
        "t": "chair, seat"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian stoel (“chair, seat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "stoel",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch stoel (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Stuhl",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "German Stuhl (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "Stohl",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German Stohl (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lb",
        "2": "Stull",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Luxembourgish Stull (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "wym",
        "2": "śtül",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Vilamovian śtül (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "yi",
        "2": "שתוהל"
      },
      "expansion": "Yiddish שתוהל (shsuhl)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da,nb,nn,sv",
        "2": "stol",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish stol (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo",
        "2": "stólur",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese stólur (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "stóll",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic stóll (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gme-cgo",
        "2": "stul",
        "t": "seat"
      },
      "expansion": "Crimean Gothic stul (“seat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌻𐍃",
        "t": "chair; throne"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌻𐍃 (stōls, “chair; throne”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ru",
        "2": "стул",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Russian стул (stul, “chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "et",
        "2": "tool",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Estonian tool (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fi",
        "2": "tuoli",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Finnish tuoli (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "br,kw",
        "2": "sevel",
        "t": "to erect, rise; to build; to lift; to compose; to earn"
      },
      "expansion": "Breton and Cornish sevel (“to erect, rise; to build; to lift; to compose; to earn”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ga",
        "2": "sáil"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish sáil"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gd",
        "2": "sàil",
        "t": "heel"
      },
      "expansion": "Scottish Gaelic sàil (“heel”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cy",
        "2": "sefyll",
        "t": "to stand; to stop; to sit"
      },
      "expansion": "Welsh sefyll (“to stand; to stop; to sit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "sistō",
        "t": "to set; to stop; to stand; to stabilise"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin sistō (“to set; to stop; to stand; to stabilise”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "xum",
        "2": "𐌔𐌄𐌔𐌕𐌖",
        "t": "to place"
      },
      "expansion": "Umbrian 𐌔𐌄𐌔𐌕𐌖 (sestu, “to place”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "el",
        "2": "στέκω"
      },
      "expansion": "Greek στέκω (stéko)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "shtoj",
        "t": "to add; to augment; to accumulate"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian shtoj (“to add; to augment; to accumulate”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lt",
        "2": "stálas",
        "t": "table"
      },
      "expansion": "Lithuanian stálas (“table”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "prg",
        "2": "stallan",
        "t": "table"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Prussian stallan (“table”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "be,bg,mk,ru",
        "2": "стол",
        "t": "table"
      },
      "expansion": "Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian стол (stol, “table”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cs",
        "2": "stůl",
        "t": "table"
      },
      "expansion": "Czech stůl (“table”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pl",
        "2": "stół",
        "t": "table"
      },
      "expansion": "Polish stół (“table”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sh",
        "2": "сто̑"
      },
      "expansion": "Serbo-Croatian сто̑"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sk",
        "2": "stôl",
        "t": "table"
      },
      "expansion": "Slovak stôl (“table”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sl",
        "2": "stol",
        "t": "chair"
      },
      "expansion": "Slovene stol (“chair”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "hy",
        "2": "երթալ"
      },
      "expansion": "Armenian երթալ (ertʻal)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ckb",
        "2": "ستوون",
        "t": "column"
      },
      "expansion": "Central Kurdish ستوون (stûn, “column”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ps",
        "2": "ستن",
        "tr": "stən",
        "t": "needle; awl; pin; syringe; post; hand; dragonfly"
      },
      "expansion": "Pashto ستن (stən, “needle; awl; pin; syringe; post; hand; dragonfly”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fa",
        "2": "ایستادن",
        "tr": "ēstādan / istâdan"
      },
      "expansion": "Persian ایستادن (ēstādan / istâdan)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "kmr",
        "2": "rawestîn",
        "t": "to stand up"
      },
      "expansion": "Northern Kurdish rawestîn (“to stand up”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "os",
        "2": "стын",
        "t": "to stand up"
      },
      "expansion": "Ossetian стын (styn, “to stand up”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "hit",
        "2": "𒋾𒄑𒍣",
        "tr": "tiezzi",
        "t": "to step; to place oneself"
      },
      "expansion": "Hittite 𒋾𒄑𒍣 (tiezzi, “to step; to place oneself”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "xto",
        "2": "ṣtäm-",
        "t": "to stand"
      },
      "expansion": "Tocharian A ṣtäm- (“to stand”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "txb",
        "2": "stäm-",
        "t": "to stand"
      },
      "expansion": "Tocharian B stäm- (“to stand”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa",
        "2": "तिष्ठति",
        "t": "to stand; to stay"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati, “to stand; to stay”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "stool",
      "stool#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stōl",
      "stol#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*stōl",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/stōl"
    ],
    [
      "*stōlaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/stōlaz"
    ],
    [
      "*steh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/steh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "stuul",
      "stuul#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "stölj",
      "stölj#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "Stööl",
      "Stööl#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "Stoul",
      "Stoul#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "stoel",
      "stoel#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "stoel",
      "stoel#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Stuhl",
      "Stuhl#German"
    ],
    [
      "Stohl",
      "Stohl#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Stull",
      "Stull#Luxembourgish"
    ],
    [
      "śtül",
      "śtül#Vilamovian"
    ],
    [
      "שתוהל",
      "שתוהל#Yiddish"
    ],
    [
      "שטול",
      "שטול#Yiddish"
    ],
    [
      "Danish",
      "stol#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "stol#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "stol#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "stol",
      "stol#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "stólur",
      "stólur#Faroese"
    ],
    [
      "stóll",
      "stóll#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "stul",
      "stul#Crimean_Gothic"
    ],
    [
      "𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌻𐍃",
      "𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌻𐍃#Gothic"
    ],
    [
      "стул",
      "стул#Russian"
    ],
    [
      "tool",
      "tool#Estonian"
    ],
    [
      "tuoli",
      "tuoli#Finnish"
    ],
    [
      "Breton",
      "sevel#Breton"
    ],
    [
      "sevel",
      "sevel#Cornish"
    ],
    [
      "sáil",
      "sáil#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "sál",
      "sál#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "sàil",
      "sàil#Scottish_Gaelic"
    ],
    [
      "sefyll",
      "sefyll#Welsh"
    ],
    [
      "sistō",
      "sisto#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "𐌔𐌄𐌔𐌕𐌖",
      "𐌔𐌄𐌔𐌕𐌖#Umbrian"
    ],
    [
      "στέκω",
      "στέκω#Greek"
    ],
    [
      "στέκομαι",
      "στέκομαι#Greek"
    ],
    [
      "shtoj",
      "shtoj#Albanian"
    ],
    [
      "stálas",
      "stalas#Lithuanian"
    ],
    [
      "stallan",
      "stallan#Old_Prussian"
    ],
    [
      "Belarusian",
      "стол#Belarusian"
    ],
    [
      "Bulgarian",
      "стол#Bulgarian"
    ],
    [
      "Macedonian",
      "стол#Macedonian"
    ],
    [
      "стол",
      "стол#Russian"
    ],
    [
      "stůl",
      "stůl#Czech"
    ],
    [
      "stół",
      "stół#Polish"
    ],
    [
      "сто̑",
      "сто#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "сто̑л",
      "стол#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "stȏ",
      "sto#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "stȏl",
      "stol#Serbo-Croatian"
    ],
    [
      "stôl",
      "stôl#Slovak"
    ],
    [
      "stol",
      "stol#Slovene"
    ],
    [
      "երթալ",
      "երթալ#Armenian"
    ],
    [
      "էթալ",
      "էթալ#Armenian"
    ],
    [
      "ستوون",
      "ستوون#Central_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "ستن",
      "ستن#Pashto"
    ],
    [
      "ایستادن",
      "ایستادن#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "وایسادن",
      "وایسادن#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "وایستادن",
      "وایستادن#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "ستون",
      "ستون#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "rawestîn",
      "rawestîn#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "stûn",
      "stûn#Northern_Kurdish"
    ],
    [
      "стын",
      "стын#Ossetian"
    ],
    [
      "𒋾𒄑𒍣",
      "𒋾𒄑𒍣#Hittite"
    ],
    [
      "ṣtäm-",
      "ṣtäm-#Tocharian_A"
    ],
    [
      "stäm-",
      "stäm-#Tocharian_B"
    ],
    [
      "तिष्ठति",
      "तिष्ठति#Sanskrit"
    ],
    [
      "stand",
      "stand#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A seat for one person without a back or armrests.",
        "A footstool.",
        "A seat with a back; a chair.",
        "A throne."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable",
        "Scotland",
        "dialectal",
        "figuratively",
        "literally"
      ],
      "recordId": "56ee6273e187c6178d352303acf2d52afb4d9f7fa51c6806ac66e067d05a30d8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "78c6bd858827b9fd449da505f8013374a52c6fc59a0f983d43fff5c902a3600f",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 291282
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To produce stool: to defecate.",
        "To cut down (a plant) until its main stem is close to the ground, resembling a stool, to promote new growth.",
        "To snitch, inform."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "f4f2b4c41743b5d0c55037d02b98c635140c52bc5b05d5fc7dae3b1adc3d8a24",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3571a1e6c48acbcd8912f620bbca422117c6243ed94b1ebcf052000c5f4072a9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 291283
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 9,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of stole (“plant from which layers are propagated by bending its branches into the soil; stolon.”).

verb

To ramify; to tiller, as grain; to shoot out suckers.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Latin stolo. See stolon.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Derivation mentionstolola
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "stolo"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin stolo"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "stolo",
      "stolo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "stolon",
      "stolon#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of stole (“plant from which layers are propagated by bending its branches into the soil; stolon.”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "rare"
      ],
      "recordId": "9ad424b7bb3e5cad5ea49f1832598d4e043bbed27ecc22ab6843746afc4d30d9",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2a984539d3403f221449a2168d7528004a96d10cdefe07821a2c9640ad4cb722",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 291284
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To ramify; to tiller, as grain; to shoot out suckers."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "cd18d4c9aa8bd47af48987b64c810893d91c13254dc7d52436d5f34b5e906914",
      "rawRecordSha256": "30563dc88b64acf814a330595e8ad17b5bcead3005dae71f243ffb5aef0dcb09",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 291285
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for stool →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3Rvb2w