Where does “stern” come from?
Stern comes from English tern, from French terne, from Latin ternas, from Proto-Indo-European h₂stḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs-.
stern (English): Having a hardness and severity of nature or...
Definitions
- Having a hardness and severity of nature or...
Ancestry of “stern”, step by step
stern traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sterne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sterne | A luminous body visible in the sky; a star or... |
| 2 | Old Norse | stjarna | star |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sternǭ | star |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
via Middle English stern
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stern | Alternative form of sterne |
| 2 | Old English | styrne | stern, grave, strict, austere, hard, severe,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sturnijaz | angry, astonished, shocked |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |
via Middle English sturne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sturne | — |