Where does “starch” come from?
Starch comes from Middle English starche, from Middle English stark, from Old English stearc, from Proto-Germanic starkaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sterg-, meaning to stiffen or strengthen.
starch (English): A widely diffused vegetable substance found...
Definitions
- A widely diffused vegetable substance found...
Ancestry of “starch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | starche | — |
| 2 | Middle English | sterch | stiff |
| 3 | Middle English | stark | — |
| 4 | Old English | stearc | severe, stern, harsh; stiff, rigid, not bending,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | stark | stiff, stark |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | starkaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)terg- | to be stiff; rigid; rigid, stiff |
Words derived from “starch”