Etymograph

English

epistle

Epistle comes from Proto-Indo-European *stel- ‘to put, to place’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stel-1‘to put, to place’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500epistel1
  3. Englishearliest quotation a. 1536epistle1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English epistle
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1536, Thomas More, The Life of John Picus Erle of Myrandula, […]. Chapter IIII.: “After that John Frauncis [i.e., Giovanni Francesco Pico della…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stel-Wiktionary, English epistle‘to put, to place’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500epistelWiktionary, English epistle
  3. Englishearliest quotation a. 1536epistleWiktionary, English epistle. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1536, Thomas More, The Life of John Picus Erle of Myrandula, […]. Chapter IIII.: “After that John Frauncis [i.e., Giovanni Francesco Pico della…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *stel- ‘to put, to place’

local, allow, location, install, locate, stole, stall, lieu, stool, stalk, loco, locus, locator, stale, apostle, locative, apostolate, stela, stele, stell, stolid, 30 more

Today it means

noun A literary composition in the form of a letter or series of letters, especially one in verse.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “epistle”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *stel- / epistle

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