Etymograph

English

stacte

Stacte comes from Ancient Greek στακτή ‘oil of myrrh’, from στακτός ‘oozing out in drops’, and ultimately from στᾰ́ξ ‘drop’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστᾰ́ξ1‘drop’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστᾰ́ζω2‘to drop’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστακτός3staktós‘oozing out in drops’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστακτή3staktḗ‘oil of myrrh’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstactē3
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1609stacte3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek στάζω, which cites Beekes
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek στακτός
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English stacte
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1609, The Holie Bible, Doway: Laurence Kellam: “And our Lord ſaid to Moyſes: Take vnto thee…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστᾰ́ξWiktionary, Ancient Greek στάζω, which cites Beekes‘drop’
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστᾰ́ζωWiktionary, Ancient Greek στακτός‘to drop’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστακτόςWiktionary, English stactestaktós‘oozing out in drops’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστακτήWiktionary, English stactestaktḗ‘oil of myrrh’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstactēWiktionary, English stacte
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1609stacteWiktionary, English stacte. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1609, The Holie Bible, Doway: Laurence Kellam: “And our Lord ſaid to Moyſes: Take vnto thee…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek στᾰ́ξ

Today it means

noun One of the sweet spices used by the Jews in Biblical times for preparing incense; it is thought to have been an oil or other form of myrrh or cinnamon, or a kind of storax.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “stacte”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek στάζω, Ancient Greek στακτός. 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 / Ancient Greek στᾰ́ξ / stacte

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