英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

acknowledge (v.)[acknowledge 词源字典]: 1550s, a blend of Middle English aknow (from Old English oncnawan "understand," from on + cnawan "recognize;" see know) and Middle English knowlechen "admit, acknowledge" (c. 1200; see knowledge). In the merger, a parasitic -c- slipped in, so that while the kn- became a simple "n" sound (as in know), the -c- stepped up to preserve, in this word, the ancient "kn-" sound. Related: Acknowledged; acknowledging. [acknowledge etymology, acknowledge origin, 英语词源]
downtrodden (adj.): 1560s, "stepped on," from down (adv.) + trodden. Figurative use, "oppressed," is from 1590s.
overstep (v.): Old English ofersteppan "to step over or beyond, cross, exceed;" see over- + step (v.). From the beginning used in figurative senses. Related: Overstepped; overstepping.
quick-step (n.): 1802, from quick (adj.) + step (n.). From 1906 as a verb. Related: quick-stepped; quick-stepping.
step (v.): Old English steppan (Anglian), stæppan (West Saxon) "take a step," from West Germanic *stap- "tread" (cognates: Old Frisian stapa, Middle Dutch, Dutch stappen, Old High German stapfon, German stapfen "step"), from PIE root *stebh- "post, stem; to support, place firmly on" (see staff (n.); cognates: Old Church Slavonic stopa "step, pace," stepeni "step, degree"). The notion is perhaps "a treading firmly on; a foothold."

Transitive sense (as in step foot in) attested from 1530s. Related: Stepped; stepping. Originally strong (past tense stop, past participle bestapen); weak forms emerged 13c., universal from 16c. To step out "leave for a short time" is from 1530s; meaning "to go out in public in style" is from 1907. Step on it "hurry up" is 1923, from notion of gas pedal.
trodden (adj.): "that has been stepped on," 1540s, past participle adjective from tread (v.). The past participle was altered from Middle English treden under influence of Middle English past participles such as stolen from steal.
fid: "A square wooden or iron bar which takes the weight of a topmast stepped to a lower mast by being passed through holes in both masts", Early 17th century: of unknown origin.