Where does “strafen” come from?
strafen (German) comes from Middle High German strāfen, from Proto-Germanic strēpōną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter(h₁)- — to be stiff; be rigid; exert.
Ancestry of “strafen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | strāfen | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | strēpōną | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter(h₁)- | to be stiff; be rigid; exert |