Sæl Patricia & Haukur,

Under "steeple", the Oxford English Dictionary has OE stépel, stýpel
< *staupil-, with the same root as the adjective "steep". For
spire, the earliest attested meaning is the stalk of a plant: OE.
spír, = WFris. spier, NFris. spîr, MDu. and Du. spier, MLG. spîr,
spyer, spyr, MHG. spîr (G. spier, spiere), Da. spire, MSw. and Sw.
spira, sprout, shoot, sprig, etc.

Cleasby & Vigfusson mentions the OE forms in the entry for stöpull.
For the change /au/ > /ö/, cf. 'höfuð'. CV and Zoega both include a
definition "steeple", but Fritzner only 'turn' + 'stólpi'. Aha,
I've just noticed, Fritzer actually has this quote in the "tower"
definition.

> Tea Clipper at sea,

...not only logical but prescient, Patricia: this aetherial
residence happens to be lurking in Indian airspace.

> South of the tower are stairs.

Ah that fills me with nostalgia for old text adventure games: "You
are in the Lonelands. Exits are south, east, and north-west.
Gandalf goes west through the round green door. Thorin sits down
and sings about gold..."

> Þar sá þeir, at hekk á turn í
> loptinu á engum stólpum.

I wonder if the first 'á' is some kind of accidental anticipation of
the preposition. Can 'stigi' be either "stairs" or "ladder"? I
gather both meanings are possible in Modern Icelandic. CV "step,
ladder, steep ascent...scaling ladder in war"

Llama Nom