Everyone is using the word "stakeholder" these days.  Of course, the intended meaning is:  a stakeholder is someone who has a stake in something, an interest.

However, most dictionaries give the hsitoric meaning:  a stakeholder is someone entrusted with the stakes of bettors.

Webster:
Main Entry: stake·hold·er
Pronunciation: ‘stAk-"hOl-d&r
Function: noun
Date: 1708
: a person entrusted with the stakes of bettors

So, the question here is -   Is the meaning of this word changing to the popular use as opposed to the historic meaning?

The AHD lists both definitions of stakeholder.  It probably stems from definition 6 of the noun and definition 1 of the verb stake.  See also grubstake.

Grubstake? I never heard of this, and it had me thinking of food. Grubsteak?

steak- 1440, "thick slice of meat cut for roasting," probably from O.N. steik "roast meat," cognate with steikja "to roast on a spit," ultimately related to stick.

So steak is related to stick, but is stick related to stake? According to OED, stick comes from PIE *st(e)ig while stake comes from P.Gmc. *stakon? Are these two different roots? Seems unlikely.

How about grub?

The slang sense of "food" is first recorded 1659, said to be from birds eating grubs, but also often linked with bub "drink."

Grub and bub was a term for "victuals and drink" in the Victorian times if this website is to be believed (which has some other interesting expression on it, too). Is anyone familiar with this phrase?

Ilka

Souce: Online Dictionary of Etymology

[quote author=ilka link=board=wordsuggest;num=1045120054;start=0#3 date=02/17/03 at 01:24:23] . . . How about grub?

Grub and bub was a term for "victuals and drink" in the Victorian times if this website is to be believed (which has some other interesting expression on it, too). Is anyone familiar with this phrase?

Ilka

Souce: Online Dictionary of Etymology

I’m not familiar with that phrase, but I remember grub and grubstake from long ago.  Back in Boy Scouts our grace before meals was sometimes a cheer:

Rub-a-dub-dub!
Thanks for the grub!
Yay, God!

We managed to dodge the lightning bolts.   :D