English
stere
Stere comes from Ancient Greek στερεός ‘solid’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ster- ‘strong’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ster-‘strong’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστερεόςstereós‘solid’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentstère
- Englishearliest quotation 1814stere
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ster-‘strong’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστερεόςstereós‘solid’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentstère
- Englishearliest quotation 1814stere
Earliest quotation: 1814, Peter Barlow: “It will be observed, that in this system it…”
The story
From French stère, from Ancient Greek στερεός (stereós, “solid”), because the unit was used for solid commodities such as firewood.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ster- ‘strong’
still, start, street, strength, strongly, stronger, strongest, straw, throttle, torpedo, stare, starve, stern, strenuous, sterile, sterility, 17 more
through Ancient Greek στερεός ‘solid’
Today it means
noun A measure of volume used e.g. for cut wood, equal to one cubic metre.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ster- / stere