Where does “sterndrive” come from?

sterndrive (English) comes from English Stern, from English tern, from Middle English terne, from Old French terne, from Latin ternas, from Latin terni, from Latin ter, from Latin terr.

sterndrive (English): A form of marine propulsion similar to an...

Definitions

  1. A form of marine propulsion similar to an...

Ancestry of “sterndrive”, step by step

sterndrive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Stern

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSternHaving a hardness and severity of nature or manner
2EnglishternAny of various sea birds of the family Sternidae...
3Middle Englishterne
4Old Frenchternedull, dim
5Latinternasaccusative feminine plural of terni
6Latinternithree each; three at a time
7Latinterthrice
8Latinterr
9Old Latintris
10Proto-Italictrēsthree
11Proto-Indo-European*tréyes

via English drive

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdriveMotivation to do or achieve something; ability...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes