'stout-fingered' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the adjective 'stout' and the adjective/participle 'fingered'. 'stout' entered English via Middle English from Old French (meaning 'strong, large'), and 'finger' comes from Old English 'finger', from Proto-Germanic '*fingraz' meaning 'finger'.

'stout-fingered' is a compound created in Modern English by joining 'stout' (Middle English from Old French roots) and 'finger' (Old English 'finger' < Proto-Germanic '*fingraz'), producing the descriptive adjective in its present form.

Initially the elements meant 'strong/large' (for 'stout') and 'finger' (for 'finger'); combined, the compound retained the straightforward descriptive sense of 'having thick or strong fingers' with little semantic shift over time.