Where does “headstrong” come from?
Headstrong comes from Middle English heedstrong, meaning stubborn or willful, though the exact sense development of its formation remains unclear.
headstrong (English): Determined to do as one pleases, and not as...
Definitions
- Determined to do as one pleases, and not as...
Ancestry of “headstrong”, step by step
headstrong traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English head
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | head | The part of the body of an animal or human which... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
via English strong
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | strong | Capable of producing great physical force;... |
| 2 | Middle English | strong | strong; Alternative form of straunge |
| 3 | Old English | strang | strong |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | strang | severe, strict, rigorous; strong |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | strangaz | tight, strict, straight; strong |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | strengʰ- | to twist; rope, cord |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |
via Middle English heedstrong
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | heedstrong | — |