staff etymology

Etymology:

The word "staff" comes from the Old English word "stæf," which meant a stick or pole. It is related to the Old High German word "stapf" and the Old Norse word "stafr," all of which have similar meanings.

Meaning:

A staff is a stick or pole that is typically used for support while walking or climbing. It can also refer to a group of people who work together to achieve a common goal, or to the vertical members of a building that support the roof or upper floors.

Origin:

The use of staffs for support while walking dates back to ancient times. In the Bible, for example, shepherds used staffs to guide and protect their flocks. Staffs were also used as weapons in combat, and as symbols of authority or office.

The concept of a staff as a group of people working together also has a long history. In medieval times, a lord's staff would often include knights, squires, and servants who assisted him in his duties.

The architectural term "staff" is thought to have originated from the use of wooden staffs or poles to support the roofs of primitive buildings.

staff relate terms

  • stiff

    Etymology Middle English stif stive styf from Old English stif stiff rigid dif

  • staff

    Etymology The word staff comes from the Old English word stæf which meant a stick

  • distaff

    Etymology of distaff The word distaff comes from the Old English distæf which in

  • bedizen

    Etymology Middle English bedizen from Anglo Norman French bederisser from Old French

  • staff

    Etymology The word staff comes from the Old English word stæf which meant a stick

  • grammar

    Grammar Etymology From Old French grammaire from Medieval Latin grammatica borrowed f

  • quarterstaff

    Etymology Quarterstaff derives from the Middle English quarter staff which itself come

  • stamp

    Etymology The word stamp comes from the Middle English word stampen which means to

  • baton

    Etymology Baton derives from the Old French word baston stick Its ultimate etymolog

  • crozier

    Etymology Late Middle English as a surname variant of French crosier from Latin cru

  • bacteria

    Etymology Bacterial derives from the Greek word βακτήριον bakterion meani

  • scepter

    Etymology The word scepter derives from the Old French word sceptre which in turn c

  • crutch

    Etymology and Origin The word crutch comes from the Middle English word crucche whi

  • verse

    Etymology The word verse comes from the Old French word vers which is derived from t

  • serve

    Etymology From Middle English serven from Old French servir from Latin servīre to