step-
O.E. steop-, with connotations of "loss," in combinations like steopcild "orphan," related to astiepan, bestiepan "to bereave, to deprive of parents or children," from P.Gmc. *steupa- "bereft" (cf. O.Fris. stiap-, O.N. stjup-, Swed. styv-, M.L.G. stef-, Du. stief-, O.H.G. stiof-, Ger. stief-), lit. "pushed out," from PIE *steup-, from base *(s)teu- (see steep (adj.)). Etymologically, a stepfather or stepmother is one who becomes father or mother to an orphan, but the notion of orphanage faded in 20c. For sense evolution, cf. L. privignus "stepson," related to privus "deprived."
Step
Step
Yesterday, when a woman confirmed that she was the stepmother of some colleagues of mine, I began to wonder about the word, and why we use the prefix step to show that a parental (or sibling) role is derived from marriage. Having checked with OED, it seems to be a more natural choice of prefix than I had thought.
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Slava
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Nice trail there, Perry, thanks. Sorry it took so long to get around to reading it.
For fun folk etymology, we could also go with the idea that these surrogate parents, children, and siblings are "stepping" into the role.
For fun folk etymology, we could also go with the idea that these surrogate parents, children, and siblings are "stepping" into the role.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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