Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “strike” come from?

Strike comes from Middle English striken, from Old English strīcan, from Proto-Germanic strīkaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European streyg-.

strike (English): To delete or cross out; to scratch or eliminate;...

Definitions

  1. To delete or cross out; to scratch or eliminate;...

Ancestry of “strike”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstryken—
2Old Englishstrīcanto stroke, pass lightly over the surface, smooth,...
3Frankishstrīkanto move or pass one thing over another, strike;...
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 “strike”

  • striking
  • stricken
  • strikingly
  • trickle
  • striker
  • awestricken
  • terrorstricken
  • strikethrough
  • striketh
  • counterstrike
  • restrike
  • strikebreaking
  • trickledown
  • strick
  • airstrike
  • strikebreaker
  • strickle
  • strikest
  • heartstricken
  • thunderstricken
  • unstricken
  • prestrike
  • footstrike
  • poststrike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- →