Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “strive” come from?

Strive comes from Middle English striven, from Old French estriver, from Old French estrif, from Frankish strīban and strīd, from Proto-Germanic strīdō, from Proto-Indo-European ster-.

strive (English): To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous...

Definitions

  1. To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous...

Ancestry of “strive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishstrivento strive
2Old Frenchestriverto compete; to argue; to dispute; to get into an...
3Frankishstrībanto exert, to make an effort
4Proto-Germanicstrībanąto be stiff; stiffen; to exert; make an effort
5Proto-Indo-Europeanstreybʰ-to be stiff
6Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “strive”

  • striven
  • striveth
  • striver
  • strivest
  • gainstrive
  • restrive
  • gainstriving
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →