stein-

See also: stein and Stein

German

Etymology

From Stein (“stone”). Originally used in semantically transparent forms like steinalt (“stone-old”), steinhart (“stone-hard”), steintaub (“stone-deaf”), steintot (“stone-dead”), etc. Then generalised to other adjectives without a semantic relation to the basic word, such as steinreich (literally “stone-rich”). See the same in Dutch steengoed (literally “stone-good”), Icelandic steinóður (literally “stone-mad”). Compare further German stock-.

Prefix

stein-

  1. (colloquial) very

Derived terms

German terms prefixed with stein-

References

  • “stein-” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Icelandic

Etymology

Ultimately an intensifier related to steinn (“stone”), as in calling someone "stone-deaf," or the phrase steinn óður (“stone mad”).[1] Compare Danish sten-, German stein-.

Prefix

stein-

  1. (emphatic) completely, extremely

Synonyms

Derived terms

Icelandic terms prefixed with stein-

References

  1. Metcalfe, F. (1880). The Englishman and the Scandinavian: Or, A Comparison of Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse Literature. United Kingdom: Trübner & Company, p. 446
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