Etymology Map
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Starve

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means to suffer or die from hunger

Where does the word "starve" come from? It comes from Old English steorfan, adopted directly into English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
steorfan
Old English · medieval
"to die"
'to die', of any cause; German sterben still means simply 'to die'
2
Stage 2 of 2
starve
English · 1500s
"to suffer from hunger"
narrowed to dying of hunger (and in northern dialects of cold, as in 'starved with cold') as 'die', from Norse, took over its general sense
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Read the full story

Starve’s story begins in Old English: steorfan meant “to die.” 'to die', of any cause; German sterben still means simply 'to die'. It reached English by 1500s as starve. Narrowed to dying of hunger (and in northern dialects of cold, as in 'starved with cold') as 'die', from Norse, took over its general sense. Today, starve means to suffer or die from hunger.