Etymograph

English

stronghold

Stronghold comes from Middle English strong ‘having physical strength, sturdy, strong’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘stiff, tight’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strengʰ-‘stiff, tight’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150strang‘strong’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500strong‘having physical strength, sturdy, strong’
  4. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500stranghalde
  5. Englishearliest quotation a. 1513stronghold

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strengʰ-‘stiff, tight’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150strang‘strong’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500strong‘having physical strength, sturdy, strong’
  4. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500stranghalde
  5. Englishearliest quotation a. 1513stronghold

Earliest quotation: a. 1513, Robert Fabyan, Gallie Prouincia: “AFter this victory thus opteyned by the Sicambris, they…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘stiff, tight’

district, stress, strength, strict, string, strain, prestige, strait, 47 more

Today it means

noun A place built to withstand attack; a fortress.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- / stronghold

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