Where does “breaststroke” come from?
breaststroke (English) comes from English stroke, from Middle English stroke, from Middle English strok, from Old English strāc, from Scots straik, from Proto-Germanic straikaz, from Proto-Indo-European streyg-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- — strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...
breaststroke (English): A swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face...
Definitions
- A swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face...
Ancestry of “breaststroke”, step by step
breaststroke traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stroke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stroke | An act of stroking; A blow or hit; A single... |
| 2 | Middle English | stroke | Any striking or hitting motion; The force of... |
| 3 | Middle English | strok | Alternative form of stroke; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | strāc | stroke |
| 5 | Scots | straik | A stroke, a blow; To stroke |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | straikaz | A stroke, line, dash |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | streyg- | to strike; to shear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter- | strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to... |
via English breast
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breast | Either of the two organs on the front of a female... |
| 2 | Middle English | brest | chest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;... |
| 3 | Old English | brēost | chest |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | breust | breast, chest |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | breustą | breast, chest |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrews- | to break |