Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “strēawian” come from?

strēawian (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *strauwjan, from Proto-Germanic strawjaną, from Proto-Indo-European strowéyeti, from Proto-Indo-European strew-, from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European ster- — sterile, infertile.

Ancestry of “strēawian”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*strauwjan—
2Proto-Germanicstrawjanąto strew
3Proto-Indo-Europeanstrowéyetito strew, to disperse; to spawn
4Proto-Indo-Europeanstrew-to spread, to strew
5Proto-Indo-Europeansterh₃-to spread, extend, stretch out
6Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “strēawian”

  • strewn
  • strew
  • strown
  • strow
  • strewer
  • strawen
  • streweth
  • strewment
  • strewest
  • strewage
  • windstrewn
  • unstrewn
  • strawn
  • overstrow
  • strower
  • strewable
  • overstrew
  • strawen
  • streowen
  • strewen
  • bestreawian
  • strewian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →