To Stem the Tide Uses a Different Stem
A stem is a plant's stalk. The verb meaning to stop comes from a separate word.
A stem is the main stalk of a plant, the upright of a ship's bow, or the base form of a word. The verb *to stem*, meaning to stop or hold back, is a different word from Old Norse *stemma*, to dam — which is why *stemming the tide* is about damming rather than about plants. *To stem from*, meaning to originate in, does belong to the plant word. Confusing the two produces the mistaken image of a plant somehow holding back water.
- A plant stalk. *A flower stem.*
- A word's base. *The verb stem.*
- A ship's bow post. *From stem to stern.*
- To stop. *Stemming the flow.*
- Old Norse — *stemma*, to dam. *The verb.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | stem | A stem. |
| Verb | stem | Stemming. |
| Past | stemmed | Stemmed. |
| Phrase | stem from | Stems from. |
| Old English | stemn | A stem. |
- The stem snapped.Plant.
- Measures to stem the loss.Stopping.
- From stem to stern.Ship.
Two verbs, one spelling
- Stem from — to originate in, from the plant word
- Stem the tide — to hold back, from Old Norse *stemma*, to dam
- Stem a flow — the same damming word
- From stem to stern — the ship's upright post
- Only the first has anything to do with plants
The plant is Old English *stemn*. The verb meaning to stop is Old Norse *stemma*, to dam.
Is stemming the tide related to a plant stem?
No. That verb comes from an Old Norse word meaning to dam, quite separate from the plant.
What does from stem to stern mean?
From the bow to the back of a ship, the stem being the upright post at the prow.