Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “strong” come from?

strong (Middle English) comes from Old English strang, from Proto-West Germanic strang, from Proto-Germanic strangaz, from Proto-Indo-European strengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.

strong (Middle English): strong; Alternative form of straunge

Definitions

  1. strong; Alternative form of straunge

Ancestry of “strong”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishstrangstrong
2Proto-West Germanicstrangsevere, strict, rigorous; strong
3Proto-Germanicstrangaztight, strict, straight; strong
4Proto-Indo-Europeanstrengʰ-to twist; rope, cord
5Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “strong”

  • strong
  • stronghold
  • strongman
  • strongbox
  • strongpoint
  • strongroom
  • semistrong
  • superstrong
  • strongish
  • overstrong
  • ultrastrong
  • strongside
  • strongback
  • strongwoman
  • stronghand
  • nonstrong
  • unstrong
  • antistrong
  • ultrastrongly
  • strongling
  • electrostrong
  • stronk
  • strong-arm
  • stronglink
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →