Where does “straightway” come from?
Straightway comes from English straight and away, where away derives from Old English weġ through Proto-Germanic wēgō and Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- meaning to move or convey.
straightway (English): A straight section of a racetrack; Synonym of...
Definitions
- A straight section of a racetrack; Synonym of...
Ancestry of “straightway”, step by step
straightway traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English straight
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | straight | Not crooked or bent; having a constant direction... |
| 2 | Middle English | streight | straight; direct |
| 3 | Middle English | strecchen | To stretch out, spread, extend; To stretch,... |
| 4 | Old English | streċċan | to stretch, hold out, extend, spread out,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | strakkjan | to stretch, to make straight |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)treg- | rigid, stiff; to be stiff, rigid, strong |