Where does “straw” come from?

straw (Middle English) comes from Old English strēaw, from Proto-West Germanic strau, from Proto-Germanic strawą, from Proto-Indo-European strew-, from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.

straw (Middle English): The remaining plant material after cultivation;...

Definitions

  1. The remaining plant material after cultivation;...

Ancestry of “straw”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishstrēawstraw
2Proto-West Germanicstraustraw
3Proto-Germanicstrawąstraw
4Proto-Indo-Europeanstrew-to spread, to strew
5Proto-Indo-Europeansterh₃-to spread, extend, stretch out
6Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “straw”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European strew- →