English
strict
Strict comes from Latin strictus ‘tightened, compressed, having been tightened’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘to twist’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strengʰ-‘to twist’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stréngʰetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*strengōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstringōas stringere, past participle‘to draw tight, bind, contract’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEstrictus‘tightened, compressed, having been tightened’
- Englishearliest quotation 1904–1905strict
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strengʰ-‘to twist’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stréngʰetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*strengōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstringōas stringere, past participle‘to draw tight, bind, contract’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEstrictus‘tightened, compressed, having been tightened’
- Englishearliest quotation 1904–1905strict
Earliest quotation: 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., The Hocussing of Cigarette: “No one, however, would have anything to do with…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘to twist’
strong, strength, string, 41 more
through Proto-Italic *strengō
constraint, restrain, constrain, vasoconstriction, 32 more
through Latin stringō ‘to draw tight, bind, contract’
stress, strain, prestige, restriction, constriction, constrictor, 39 more
through Latin strictus ‘tightened, compressed, having been tightened’
Today it means
adj Strained; drawn close; tight.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- / strict