Where does “stern” come from?

stern (Middle English) comes from Old English styrne, from Proto-Germanic sturnijaz, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.

stern (Middle English): Alternative form of sterne

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of sterne

Ancestry of “stern”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishstyrnestern, grave, strict, austere, hard, severe,...
2Proto-Germanicsturnijazangry, astonished, shocked
3Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “stern”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →