stützen

Attested as a simplex since the 17th century. Probably after Middle Low German stütten as a backformation from inherited unterstützen, from Middle High German understüzzen, from Old High German untarstuzzen, eventually from Proto-West Germanic *stuttijan.

See also Dutch stutten (“to support”), and, by borrowing from Low German, Norwegian støtte, Swedish stötta, and (probably) dialectal English stut (“to support”). The verb is related with Proto-Germanic *stuþs, whence English stud (“rotrusion; post”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃtʏtsən/, ,

• Audio:

  (file)

stützen (weak, third-person singular present stützt, past tense stützte, past participle gestützt, auxiliary haben)

1. (transitive) to support, to underpin (to keep from falling)
2. (reflexive) (with preposition auf) to use something or someone for support
3. (transitive) to corroborate, to abet
4. (with preposition auf) to rest, to lean
   • 1931, Arthur Schnitzler, Flucht in die Finsternis, S. Fischer Verlag, page 125:

     Er sah sie, von Schneeflocken umweht, auf einem kleinen Balkon stehen, die Hände auf die Brüstung gestützt und nach unten blickend.

     He saw her, snowflakes blowing around her, standing on a small balcony, the hands rested on the balustrade and looking down.

• “stützen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “stützen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “stützen” in Duden online
• “stützen” in OpenThesaurus.de