straight
/streɪt/
adjective
Origin
Old English
streht — extended, stretched
Overview
Meaning Now
- Moving or extending in a constant direction without a curve, bend, or angle.
- Composed of honest or candid elements; direct or straightforward.
- Not modified, diluted, or mixed; pure (e.g., of a drink).
Literal older meaning
stretched, extended
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
streight
Earliest period
Middle English, 14th century
Journey
The word originated as the past participle of the verb 'stretch'. In Middle English, the -ght spelling became standardized through analogy with other words containing the same cluster, despite the phonetic shift that occurred in the language.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*strengh-
“to stretch, to pull tight”
- Old English
streht
“stretched out”
Past participle of streccan
- Middle English
streight
“stretched; direct”
Influenced by the spelling of 'caught' and 'taught'
- Modern English
straight
“unbending; honest”
Connections
Word parts
streight
root
to stretch
Related across languages
German
gestreckt
stretched
Dutch
gestrekt
stretched
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Related to straight
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.