Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “starchy” come from?

Starchy derives from Middle English -y, Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, Latin -ia, Proto-Indo-European -kos, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, forming an adjectival suffix chain whose ultimate origin and sense development remain unestablished.

starchy (English): Of or pertaining to starch; Containing starch;...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to starch; Containing starch;...

Ancestry of “starchy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstarchA widely diffused vegetable substance found...
2Middle Englishstarche—
3Middle Englishsterchstiff
4Middle Englishstark—
5Old Englishstearcsevere, stern, harsh; stiff, rigid, not bending,...
6Proto-West Germanicstarkstiff, stark
7Proto-Germanicstarkaz—
8Proto-Indo-European(s)terg-to be stiff; rigid; rigid, stiff

Words derived from “starchy”

  • starchiness
  • nonstarchy
  • starchily
  • non-starchy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)terg- →