Where does “stern” come from?
stern (German) comes from Middle High German stërne, from Old High German sterno, from Proto-West Germanic sternō, from Proto-Germanic sternô, from Proto-Indo-European h₂stḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs- — to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth.
Ancestry of “stern”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | stërne | — |
| 2 | Old High German | sterno | star |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | sternō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sternô | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |