Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “straying” come from?

Straying derives from Middle English streyien, from Old English strēagian, from Proto-Germanic strawōn, from Proto-Indo-European strew-, meaning to scatter or spread.

straying (English): present participle of stray; The act of one who...

Definitions

  1. present participle of stray; The act of one who...

Ancestry of “straying”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstrayAny domestic animal that has no enclosure, or its...
2Middle Englishstray—
3Anglo-Normanestray—
4Old Frenchestraierto wander; to roam
5Latinextravagarito wander beyond
6Latinvagaripresent active infinitive of vagor; to wander,...
7Latinvaguswandering, rambling, strolling; uncertain, vague
8Proto-Italicwagos—
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanHwogos—

Words derived from “straying”

  • unstraying
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hwogos →