Etymograph

English

stringent

Stringent comes from Latin stringēns, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *streyg- ‘to stroke, to shear, stiff’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*streyg-1‘to stroke, to shear, stiff’next step skipped: Latin stringō
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstringēns1
  3. Englishtodaystringent1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English stringent

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*streyg-Wiktionary, English stringent‘to stroke, to shear, stiff’next step skipped: Latin stringō
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstringēnsWiktionary, English stringent
  3. EnglishtodaystringentWiktionary, English stringent

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *streyg- ‘to stroke, to shear, stiff’

strike, stroke, streak, distress, restraint, stricken, stricture, 7 more

Today it means

adj Strict; binding strongly; making strict requirements; restrictive; rigid; severe.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “stringent”. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *streyg- / stringent

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