stief-

From Middle Dutch stief-, stiep-, from Old Dutch *stiop-, from Proto-West Germanic *steupa-, from Proto-Germanic *steupa- (“bereft, pushed out”).

Cognate with German stief-, English step-. The form with -f- arose through assimilation before the word vader (“father”); the generalization of this form may or may not have been reinforced by High German influence (where the -f- is regular). Compare the same in Middle Low German stêf-.

• IPA^(key): /stif/

• Audio:

  (file)

stief-

1. step-; a prefix indicating the individual being referred to is related through the marriage of a parent

From Middle High German stief-, from Old High German stiof-, from Proto-West Germanic *steupa- (“bereft, pushed out”). Cognate with Dutch stief-, English step-.

• IPA^(key): /ʃtiːf/

• Audio:

  (file)

stief-

1. step-; a prefix indicating the individual being referred to is related through the marriage of a parent.