An example of stern is a teacher when he is scolding a student.
An example of stern is the back of a boat.
MLA Style
APA Style
Origin of stern
Middle English sterne from Old English styrne from Indo-European base an unverified form ster-, stiff, rigid from source stare, starveOrigin of stern
Middle English steorne, stern, rudder from Old Norse stjorn, steering from styra, to steer
MLA Style
APA Style
adjective
stern·er, stern·estOrigin of stern
Middle English sterne from Old English styrne ; see ster-1 in Indo-European roots.Related Forms:
adverb
noun
noun
Origin of stern
Middle English sterne perhaps of Scandinavian origin Old Norse stjōrn rudder ; see stā- in Indo-European roots.
MLA Style
APA Style
(comparative sterner, superlative sternest)
From Middle English stern, sterne, sturne, from Old English styrne (“stern, grave, strict, austere, hard, severe, cruel"), from Proto-Germanic *sturnijaz (“angry, astonished, shocked"), from Proto-Indo-European *ster-, *ter- (“rigid, stiff"). Cognate with Scots stern (“bold, courageous, fierce, resolute"), Old High German stornÄ“n (“to be astonished"), Dutch stuurs (“glum, austere"), Swedish stursk (“insolent").
(plural sterns)
Most likely from Old Norse stjórn (“control, steering"), related to stýra (“to steer"), from Proto-Germanic *stiurijanÄ…, whence also English steer. Also possibly from Old Frisian stiarne (“rudder"), from the same Germanic root.
(plural sterns)
Old English
MLA Style
APA Style
