straight

The story

1. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*strakkjan“to stretch”
2. Old English · derived fromstreċċan
3. Middle English · inherited fromstreight
4. English todaystraight

From Middle English streight, streght, streiȝt, the past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”), from Old English streċċan (past participle ġestreaht, ġestreht), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch”). Cognate with Scots straicht (“straight”), Dutch gestrekt (“stretched”), German gestreckt (“stretched”), Danish strakt (“stretched”), Faroese and Norn strekti (“stretched”), Icelandic strekkti (“stretched”), Norwegian strekte (“stretched”), Swedish sträckte (“stretched”). Doublet of straught. Equivalent to stretch + -ed. In some senses, conflated with strait (“narrow, constricted”), which is from Latin strictus via Old French estreit.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. Not crooked, curly, or bent; having a constant direction throughout its length.
• from 15th c. Direct, undeviating.
• from 17th c. Perfectly horizontal or vertical; not diagonal or oblique.
• from 19th c. Describing the bat as held so as not to incline to either side; on, or near a line running between the two wickets.
• from 19th c. Direct in communication; unevasive, straightforward.
• from 16th c. Free from dishonesty; honest, law-abiding.
• from 19th c. In proper order; as it should be.
• from 19th c. In a row, in unbroken sequence; consecutive.