Stiff
/stɪf/noun
Firm, rigid, or difficult to bend; also used informally for something severe or intense.
Did you know?In Old English, *stīf* meant rigid or inflexible, and its deep Germanic relatives are tied to ideas of strength and hardness rather than anything mystical, which is why the word still feels so physically sharp today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steip-
“to be stiff, thick, or firm”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stīfaz
“stiff, rigid”
Old English
OE
stīf
“rigid, inflexible”
Old Norse
ON
stífr
“stiff, rigid”
Middle English
ME
stif
“stiff, hard, not easily bent”
Modern English
English
stiff
“firm, rigid, or difficult to bend”