Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Strand” come from?

Strand (English) comes from Middle English strand, from Old English strand, from Proto-Germanic strandō, from Proto-Indo-European (s)trAnt-, from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.

Ancestry of “Strand”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstrandbeach, shoreline
2Old Englishstrandbeach; shore
3Proto-Germanicstrandōedge; rim; shore, strand
4Proto-Indo-European(s)trAnt-strand, border, field
5Proto-Indo-Europeansterh₃-to spread, extend, stretch out
6Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →