Etymology

strive

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Today it means: To try to achieve a result; to make strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently. Full definition →

Middle English striven ← Old French estriver ← Frankish *strīban
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The story

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*strībaną
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*stribāną
  3. Frankish · derived from*stribēn“to strive”
  4. Proto-Germanic · derived from*strībaną
  5. Frankish · derived from*strīban“to exert, make an effort”
  6. Old French · derived fromestriver“to compete, quarrel”
  7. Middle English · inherited fromstriven“to strive”
  8. English todaystrive

From Middle English striven (“to strive”), from Old French estriver (“to compete, quarrel”), from Frankish *strīban (“to exert, make an effort”) from Proto-Germanic *strībaną, or from Frankish *stribēn (“to strive”) from Proto-Germanic *stribāną. As this verb is conjugated as if it were a strong verb (like drive, ride, and write), it is possible this word may instead be inherited from an unattested Old English *strīfan or *strifian, which would itself also be inherited from Proto-Germanic *strībaną.

Words from the same roots

Frankish*strīban all →

strife

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.