Where does “sternsman” come from?

sternsman (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.

sternsman (English): A steersman

Definitions

  1. A steersman

Ancestry of “sternsman”, step by step

sternsman 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 MAN

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMANInitialism of Metropolitan Area Network
2EnglishmanualA handbook; A booklet that instructs on the usage...
3Middle Englishmanuel
4Anglo-Normanmanuelmanual; done with the hands; handle; manual;...
5Old Frenchmanual
6Latinmanuālishand
7Latinmanushand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting
8Proto-Italicmanushand
9Proto-Indo-Europeanman-human being; man; hand
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes