Where does “stricken” come from?

Stricken comes from the past participle of Old English strīcan, traced through Proto-Indo-European streyg- and (s)ter-, roots meaning to stroke or spread.

stricken (English): Struck by something; Disabled or incapacitated by...

Definitions

  1. Struck by something; Disabled or incapacitated by...

Ancestry of “stricken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstriken
2Old Englishstricen
3Proto-Germanicstrikanaz
4Proto-Germanicstrīkanąto stroke, to rub
5Proto-Indo-Europeanstreyg-to strike; to shear
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

Words derived from “stricken

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter-
stricken — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer