'unsteady' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'unstædig,' where 'un-' meant 'not' and 'stædig' meant 'firm or stable.'

'unstædig' transformed into the Middle English word 'unstedie,' and eventually became the modern English word 'unsteady.'

Initially, it meant 'not firm or stable,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.