Extremely surprising or shocking; or walking or moving unsteadily as if about to fall.
From Old Norse 'stakra' meaning to push or stagger. The meaning evolved from physical unsteadiness to describe anything that makes one metaphorically lose balance from shock or amazement.
The word beautifully captures how overwhelming experiences affect us physically - when we're truly shocked, we describe it with the same word used for losing our physical balance, showing the deep connection between mind and body.
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