Where does “strach” come from?
strach (Old Polish) comes from Proto-Slavic straxъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic strākš-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)treg- — rigid, stiff; to be stiff, rigid, strong.
Ancestry of “strach”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | straxъ | fear, terror |
| 2 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | strākš- | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)treg- | rigid, stiff; to be stiff, rigid, strong |