Etymology of “stable” (adjective)

• Origin: From the Latin word stabilis meaning “firm,” “steady,” or “steadfast,” which in turn comes from stare, meaning “to stand.”

• Development: In Old French, it appeared as estable and carried over into Middle English as stable, retaining the sense of “secure,” “unchanging,” or “reliable.”

Etymology of “stable” (noun)

• Meaning: A building or enclosure where livestock (especially horses) are kept.

• Origin: Ultimately from the same Latin root stare (“to stand”), via Late Latin stabulum (“standing place,” “stall”) and Anglo-French estable. In Middle English, stable retained the notion of “a place where animals stand or stay.”