Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “starver” come from?

starver (English) comes from English starve, from Middle English sterven, from Old English steorfan, from Proto-West Germanic *sterban, from Proto-Germanic sterbaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)terp- — to lose force; lose sensibility, become numb; be...

starver (English): One who starves

Definitions

  1. One who starves

Ancestry of “starver”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstarveTo die; in later use especially to die slowly,...
2Middle EnglishstervenTo die or perish; To perish from cold or hunger;...
3Old Englishsteorfanto die
4Proto-West Germanic*sterban—
5Proto-Germanicsterbanąto become stiff; to die, become lifeless
6Proto-Indo-European(s)terp-to lose force; lose sensibility, become numb; be...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)terp- →