Where does “-stress” come from?

-stress (English) comes from Middle English -estere, from Old English -estre, from Proto-West Germanic *-astrijā — ress.

-stress (English): Female equivalent of -ster

Definitions

  1. Female equivalent of -ster

Ancestry of “-stress”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-esterester, -ress
2Old English-estrefemale agent suffix, especially denoting one who...
3Proto-West Germanic*-astrijāress
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *-astrijā →Every word from Old English -estre →Every word from Middle English -estere →