Does anyone know how or where to find word stems?

Question

To be more specific, I am looking for the stems of "valise" and "gestapo". Also, I need the meaning of the stems. It's for a book report. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

The stem is simply the main part of the word that is added to when we want to do things like, for example, get an adjective from a noun. An example of a stem would be "person". From it we get words like personality, personification, personhood, persons. Gestapo is an acronym of a German body which is short for GEheime STaatsPOlizei so I would say its stem would be itself. Valise, too, is its own stem or perhaps the e would be dropped.

Answer 2

A word stem is another name for the base or root of a word. If you remove a suffix and/or a prefix you will be left with the stem.
For instance, the "stem" of the word preposition is position; pointless is point and you get the picture. I am sorry, but I have no idea what the root of valise or gestapo is. Try looking on www.dictionary.com.

Answer 3

1615, "suitcase, soldier's kit bag," from Fr. valise (1568), from It. valigia, of uncertain origin. Attested in M.L. forms valisia (1407), valixia (1298).

1934, from Ger. Gestapo, from "Geheime Staats-polizei," lit. "secret state police," set up by Hermann Göring in Prussia in 1933, extended to all Germany in January 1934.

Answer 4

A good dictionary is supposed to have all that under the word itself.

Valise
Origin: 1605–15; < F < It valigia, of obscure orig.; cf. ML valésium]
Luggage, baggage

The stem then is the vali

F if for French and ML for Middle-Latin

Answer 5

'Valise' is from French before that, Italian and was 'valigia'
'Gestapo' is a short form of "1934, from Ger. Gestapo, from "Geheime Staats-polizei," lit. "secret state police," set up by Hermann Göring in Prussia in 1933, ", thanks to:
www.etymonline.com