An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/stützen

by Friedrich Kluge

stützen, verb, ‘to prop, support,’ from the equivalent Middle High German (under-) stützen, Old High German (untar-)stuzzen; allied to Middle High German and Modern High German stütze. Old High German stuzzen, from *stutjan, points to a Teutonic root stut, besides which Old High German studen, Old Icelandic styðja, ‘to fix firmly, properly’ and Anglo-Saxon stuðu, studu, ‘post’ (English stud), presume a Teutonic root stuþ (stud). The early history of the cognates is obscure.