*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of stow

From Middle English stowe, from Old English stōw (“place, location”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōu, from Proto-Germanic *stōō (“a place, stowage”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, place, put”). Cognate wit

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 place, stead.

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

From Middle English stowe, from Old English stōw (“place, location”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōu, from Proto-Germanic *stōō (“a place, stowage”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, place, put”). Cognate with Old Frisian stō (“place”), Icelandic stó (“fireplace”), Dutch stouw (“place”), German Stau (“congestion”). See also -stow.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*steh₂-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionstoweenm
  • Inherited-form mentionstōwang · place, location
  • Inherited-form mention*stōugmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*stōōgem-pro · a place, stowage
  • Derivation mention*steh₂-ine-pro · to stand, place, put
  • Cognate mentionstōofs
  • Cognate mentionstóis
  • Cognate mentionstouwnl
  • Cognate mentionStaude
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*steh₂-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "stowe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English stowe"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "stōw",
        "t": "place, location"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English stōw (“place, location”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*stōu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *stōu"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*stōō",
        "t": "a place, stowage"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *stōō (“a place, stowage”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*steh₂-",
        "t": "to stand, place, put"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, place, put”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "stō",
        "3": "",
        "4": "place"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian stō (“place”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "stó",
        "3": "",
        "4": "fireplace"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic stó (“fireplace”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "stouw",
        "3": "",
        "4": "place"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch stouw (“place”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Stau",
        "3": "",
        "4": "congestion"
      },
      "expansion": "German Stau (“congestion”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "stowe",
      "stowe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stōw",
      "stow#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*stōu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/stōu"
    ],
    [
      "*stōō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/stōō"
    ],
    [
      "*steh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/steh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "stō",
      "sto#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "stó",
      "stó#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "stouw",
      "stouw#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Stau",
      "Stau#German"
    ],
    [
      "-stow",
      "-stow#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A place, stead."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To put something away in a compact and tidy manner, in its proper place, or in a suitable place. · To store or pack something in a space-saving manner and over a long time. · To arrange, pack, or fill something tightly or closely. · To dispose of, lodge, or hide somebody somewhere.

intj

A cry used by falconers to call their birds back down to hand.

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

From Middle English stowen, stawen, stewen, from Old English stōwian (“to hold back, restrain”), from Proto-Germanic *stōōną, *stōjaną (“to stow, dam up”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, place”). Cognate with Dutch stuwen, stouwen (“to stow”), Low German stauen (“to blin, halt, hinder”), German stauen (“to halt, hem in, stow, pack”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 1 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.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "stowen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English stowen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "stōwian",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to hold back, restrain"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English stōwian (“to hold back, restrain”)"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*stōōną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *stōōną"
    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*steh₂-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to stand, place"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, place”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "stuwen"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch stuwen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "stauen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to blin, halt, hinder"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German stauen (“to blin, halt, hinder”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "stauen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to halt, hem in, stow, pack"
      },
      "expansion": "German stauen (“to halt, hem in, stow, pack”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "stowen",
      "stowen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stawen",
      "stawen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stewen",
      "stewen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stōwian",
      "stowian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*stōōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/stōōną"
    ],
    [
      "*stōjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/stōjaną"
    ],
    [
      "*steh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/steh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "stuwen",
      "stuwen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "stouwen",
      "stouwen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "stauen",
      "stauen#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "stauen",
      "stauen#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "To put something away in a compact and tidy manner, in its proper place, or in a suitable place.",
        "To store or pack something in a space-saving manner and over a long time.",
        "To arrange, pack, or fill something tightly or closely.",
        "To dispose of, lodge, or hide somebody somewhere."
      ],
      "tags": [
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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 stow →

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-c3Rvdw