stígvél

Icelandic

Etymology

Attested from mid-16th century. Via Middle Low German stevel or Danish støvle, from Italian stivale (“a boot”), from Old French estival, of ultimate Latin uncertain origin; altered by association with stíga (“to step”). Cognate with German Stiefel.

A cognate with (or possibly derived from) the obsolete Old Icelandic stýfill (“boot”), from Middle Low German.

Belief that it derives from the Icelandic verb stíga (“to step”) and vél (“a machine”) similar to borvél (“a drill; literally a drilling machine”), eldavél (“a cooking stove; literally a cooking machine”) and þvottavél (“washing machine”) is a folk etymology. This may be inferred from the fact that stígvél is a neuter noun while vél and the other compounds listed are feminine nouns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstiɣ.vjɛːl/

Noun

stígvél n (genitive singular stígvéls, nominative plural stígvél)

1. a boot

Declension

declension of stígvél

n-s	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	stígvél	stígvélið	stígvél	stígvélin
accusative	stígvél	stígvélið	stígvél	stígvélin
dative	stígvéli	stígvélinu	stígvélum	stígvélunum
genitive	stígvéls	stígvélsins	stígvéla	stígvélanna

Derived terms

• gúmmistígvél
• herstígvél
• regnstígvél
• stígvélahanki (“a bootstrap”)

 

Further reading

• "stígvél"