Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “starvingly” come from?

starvingly (English) comes from English starving, 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...

starvingly (English): While, or as if, starving; very hungrily; So as...

Definitions

  1. While, or as if, starving; very hungrily; So as...

Ancestry of “starvingly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishstarvingpresent participle of starve; starvation
2EnglishstarveTo die; in later use especially to die slowly,...
3Middle EnglishstervenTo die or perish; To perish from cold or hunger;...
4Old Englishsteorfanto die
5Proto-West Germanic*sterban—
6Proto-Germanicsterbanąto become stiff; to die, become lifeless
7Proto-Indo-European(s)terp-to lose force; lose sensibility, become numb; be...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)terp- →