Stalked
/stɔːkt/noun
Past tense and past participle of stalk, meaning to pursue or follow someone or something persistently and secretly, or to move with a long, steady step.
Did you know?Although the modern creepy sense is newer, the older English verb *stalk* was first tied to moving with long, measured steps, while the noun *stalk* for a plant stem comes from a different but related early sense of something upright and supporting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stel-
“to put, place, or set”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stalkaz
“a stem, stalk, or upright support”
Old English
OE
stalu / stealcian
“to walk stealthily or with a high, stiff step”
Middle English
ME
stalken
“to walk with long, deliberate steps; later, to pursue secretly”
Modern English
English
stalked
“pursued or followed persistently and secretly; also moved with a long, measured step”