Etymograph

English

strap

Strap comes from Old English strop ‘a band, thong, strap’, from Ancient Greek στρόφος ‘rope’, and ultimately from στρέφω ‘to twist’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστρέφω1stréphō‘to twist’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEστρόφος1stróphos‘rope’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstroppus1
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150strop1‘a band, thong, strap’next step skipped: Old French estrope
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500strope1
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1712strap1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English strap
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1712, WEDNESDAY, October 2, 1712: “a lively cobbler, that […] had scarce passed a…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστρέφωWiktionary, English strapstréphō‘to twist’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEστρόφοςWiktionary, English strapstróphos‘rope’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstroppusWiktionary, English strap
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150stropWiktionary, English strap‘a band, thong, strap’next step skipped: Old French estrope
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stropeWiktionary, English strap
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1712strapWiktionary, English strap. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1712, WEDNESDAY, October 2, 1712: “a lively cobbler, that […] had scarce passed a…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek στρέφω

Today it means

noun A long, narrow, pliable strip of leather, cloth, or the like.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “strap”. 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 / Ancient Greek στρέφω / strap

Shirt and support for this word