Stout is from Old French 'estout', bold, proud, brave, of Germanic origin (compare Middle Dutch 'stout', bold); the senses shifted from 'brave' to 'strong' to 'thickset'. Important recorded forms include estout (Old French). The wording preserves that uncertainty: the older history is best read as a cautious account rather than a fully settled chain. The semantic development is already visible in the history: an older concrete or specialized use was extended into the modern meaning rather than replaced by a separate origin. In current use it covers thickset and sturdy, or a dark strong beer. The wider family includes derived forms such as stoutly and stoutness.