Past participle of steal; taken illegally or without permission; obtained by theft.
From Old English stelan, related to Proto-Germanic stelanan meaning 'to take secretly.' Connected to words in other Germanic languages and ultimately to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning 'to be firm or stiff,' possibly relating to stealth and stillness.
The connection between 'stolen' and 'stealth' runs deeper than spelling - both come from the same root idea of moving secretly and remaining still or hidden, showing how ancient peoples understood theft as fundamentally about invisibility and silence rather than just taking.
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