Where does “stray” come from?
stray (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman estray, from Old French estraier, from Latin extravagari, from Latin vagari, from Latin vagus, from Proto-Italic wagos, from Proto-Indo-European Hwogos.
Ancestry of “stray”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | estray | — |
| 2 | Old French | estraier | to wander; to roam |
| 3 | Latin | extravagari | to wander beyond |
| 4 | Latin | vagari | present active infinitive of vagor; to wander,... |
| 5 | Latin | vagus | wandering, rambling, strolling; uncertain, vague |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | wagos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hwogos | — |
Words derived from “stray”