The word 'stole' entered English in the Old English period as 'stol', directly from the Latin 'stola', which referred to a woman's long robe. The Latin term was a borrowing from the Greek 'stolē', a word with a broader meaning relating to equipment or attire, derived from the verb 'stellen', meaning to array or equip. This etymological path highlights a semantic narrowing: from a general concept of equipment in Greek, to a specific Roman garment in Latin, and finally to the specialized ecclesiastical and formal wear in modern English. The modern stole retains the core idea of a long, draped garment but now carries distinct cultural and ceremonial connotations.

The word 'stole' is a simplex loanword. It originates from the Latin 'stola', meaning a long robe or garment, which itself came from the Greek 'stolē' (στολή), meaning equipment, array, or garment. The functional role is that of a noun denoting a specific type of clothing.