Where does “sterling” come from?
sterling (Polish) comes from English sterling, from Middle English sterling, from Old English starlinc, from Old English -ling, from Old English lang, from Proto-West Germanic lang, from Proto-Germanic langaz, from Proto-Indo-European dlongʰos — long.
Ancestry of “sterling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sterling | The currency of the United Kingdom; especially... |
| 2 | Middle English | sterling | starling |
| 3 | Old English | starlinc | — |
| 4 | Old English | -ling | adverbial suffix denoting direction, state or... |
| 5 | Old English | lang | long; lasting; old, ancient; advanced |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | lang | long |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | langaz | long |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dlongʰos | long |