Where does “straight” come from?

Straight comes from Middle English streight, derived from Middle English strecchen (to stretch), from Old English streċċan, from Proto-West Germanic strakkjan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European streg- or (s)terg-.

straight (English): Not crooked or bent; having a constant direction...

Definitions

  1. Not crooked or bent; having a constant direction...

Ancestry of “straight”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstreightstraight; direct
2Middle EnglishstrecchenTo stretch out, spread, extend; To stretch,...
3Old Englishstreċċanto stretch, hold out, extend, spread out,...
4Proto-West Germanicstrakkjanto stretch, to make straight
5Proto-Indo-European(s)treg-rigid, stiff; to be stiff, rigid, strong

Words derived from “straight

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)treg-