English
straphanger
From strap + hanger.
Ancient Greek στρέφω ‘to twist’
Ancient Greek στρόφος ‘rope’
Latin stroppus
Old English strop ‘a band, thong, strap’
Middle English strope
English strap
Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ- ‘to tighten’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂énǵʰos ‘anxiety, suffering, grief’
Proto-Germanic *angazaz ‘worry, grief, anxiety’
Old Norse angr ‘sorrow, resentment, distress’
Middle English anger ‘Grief, painfulness, or discomfort’
English hanger
Today it means
noun A person who travels using public transportation (often standing up and holding on to a strap).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / straphanger