Etymograph

English

sterlet

Sterlet comes from Russian сте́рлядь, from German Störling ‘diminutive of Stör’, and ultimately from Stör.

  1. Germanc. 1650–presentStör1
  2. Germanc. 1650–presentStörling2‘diminutive of Stör’
  3. Russianmodernсте́рлядь3stérljadʹ
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1904sterlet3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, German Störling
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Russian стерлядь
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English sterlet
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1904, 1878, Anna Karénin: “The old prince sat in silence, looking with his…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Germanc. 1650–presentStörWiktionary, German Störling
  2. Germanc. 1650–presentStörlingWiktionary, Russian стерлядь‘diminutive of Stör’
  3. Russianmodernсте́рлядьWiktionary, English sterletstérljadʹ
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1904sterletWiktionary, English sterlet. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1904, 1878, Anna Karénin: “The old prince sat in silence, looking with his…”

Every English word from German Stör

Today it means

noun A smaller, common Eurasian sturgeon, of the species Acipenser ruthenus.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sterlet”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for German Störling, Russian стерлядь. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / German Stör / sterlet

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