Where does “start” come from?

Start comes from Middle English sterten, from Proto-Germanic stertaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter-, a root meaning to move abruptly or turn.

start (English): The beginning of an activity; A sudden...

Definitions

  1. The beginning of an activity; A sudden...

Ancestry of “start”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstertstart; beginning; tail
2Old Englishsteorttail
3Proto-West Germanic*stert
4Proto-Germanicstertaztail
5Proto-Indo-European(s)terd-
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

Words derived from “start

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter-
start — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer