Where does “strife” come from?
Strife comes from Middle English strif, from Old French estrif, from Frankish strīban and strīd, from Proto-Germanic strīdō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ster-.
strife (English): Striving; earnest endeavor; hard work; Exertion...
Definitions
- Striving; earnest endeavor; hard work; Exertion...
Ancestry of “strife”, step by step
strife traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English strif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | strif | conflict; dispute |
| 2 | Old French | estrif | quarrel; dispute |
| 3 | Old French | estriver | to compete; to argue; to dispute; to get into an... |
| 4 | Frankish | strīban | to exert, to make an effort |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | strībaną | to be stiff; stiffen; to exert; make an effort |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | streybʰ- | to be stiff |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |