*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of stare

From Middle English staren, from Old English starian (“to stare”), from Proto-West Germanic *starēn, from Proto-Germanic *starjaną, *starāną (“to be fixed, be rigid”), from Proto-Indo-European *ster-. Cognate with Dutch

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To look fixedly (at something). · To influence in some way by looking fixedly. · To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, colour, or brilliancy. · To stand out; to project; to bristle.

noun

A persistent gaze.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English staren, from Old English starian (“to stare”), from Proto-West Germanic *starēn, from Proto-Germanic *starjaną, *starāną (“to be fixed, be rigid”), from Proto-Indo-European *ster-. Cognate with Dutch staren (“to stare”), German starren (“to stare”), German starr (“stiff”). More at start.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "inh",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "staren",
        "4": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English staren"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "starian",
        "t": "to stare"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English starian (“to stare”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*starēn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *starēn"
    },
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      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *ster-"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "staren",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stare"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch staren (“to stare”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "starren",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stare"
      },
      "expansion": "German starren (“to stare”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "starr",
        "3": "",
        "4": "stiff"
      },
      "expansion": "German starr (“stiff”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "staren",
      "staren#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "starian",
      "starian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*starēn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/starēn"
    ],
    [
      "*starjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/starjaną"
    ],
    [
      "*starāną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/starāną"
    ],
    [
      "*ster-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ster-"
    ],
    [
      "staren",
      "staren#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "starren",
      "starren#German"
    ],
    [
      "starr",
      "starr#German"
    ],
    [
      "start",
      "start#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
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    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To look fixedly (at something).",
        "To influence in some way by looking fixedly.",
        "To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, colour, or brilliancy.",
        "To stand out; to project; to bristle."
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A starling.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English star, ster, from Old English stær (“starling”), from Proto-Germanic *starô (“starling”), from Proto-Indo-European *stor- (“starling”). Cognate with German Star (“starling”), Danish stær (“starling”), Swedish stare (“starling”), Norwegian Nynorsk stare (“starling”), Icelandic stari (“starling”). Compare also Old English stearn (“a type of bird, starling”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionstarenm
  • Inherited-form mentionstærang · starling
  • Inherited-form mention*starôgem-pro · starling
  • Derivation mention*stor-ine-pro · starling
  • Cognate mentionStarde · starling
  • Cognate mentionstærda · starling
  • Cognate mentionstaresv · starling
  • Cognate mentionstarenn · starling
  • Cognate mentionstariis · starling
  • Cognate mentionstearnang · a type of bird, starling
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": "gem-pro",
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    },
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        "t": "starling"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish stær (“starling”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "stare",
        "t": "starling"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish stare (“starling”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "stare",
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      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk stare (“starling”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "stari",
        "t": "starling"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic stari (“starling”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "ang",
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      },
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      "Star#German"
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      "stare",
      "stare#Swedish"
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      "stare",
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      "stearn",
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  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for stare →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3RhcmU