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Origin and history of stark

stark(adj.)

Old English stearc "stiff, strong, rigid (as in death), obstinate; stern, severe, hard; harsh, rough, violent," from Proto-Germanic *starka- (source also of Old Norse starkr, Danish sterk, Old Frisian sterk, Middle Dutch starc, Old High German starah, German stark, Gothic *starks), from PIE root *ster- (1) "stiff." From the same root as stern (adj.).

The meaning "utter, sheer, complete" is recorded by c. 1300, perhaps from the notion of "strict," or "all-powerful" or by influence of the common phrase stark dead (late 14c.), with stark mistaken as an intensive adjective.

The sense of "bare, barren" is from 1833. In Middle English also "stiff with fear or emotion," also, of buildings, etc., "strongly made." As an adverb from c. 1200, "firmly, strongly." Related: Starkly; starkness.

Stark-raving (adj.) is from 1640s; earlier stark-staring 1530s (excessive staring was a mark of madness and in Middle English staring wood was "stark mad").

Entries linking to stark

stern(adj.)

Old English stirne, styrne "severe, harsh, grave; strict, cruel; inflexible, rigid" from Proto-Germanic *sternjaz (source also of Middle High German sterre, German starr "stiff," störrig "obstinate;" Gothic andstaurran "to be stiff;" Old Norse stara; Old English starian "to look or gaze upon"), considered to be from PIE root *ster- (1) "stiff."

As "rigorous in morals" by late 14c. Of looks, "grim, foreboding," late 14c. Also in Middle English, "bold, valiant, brave; spirited, untamed" and used also of desolate places or potent herbs and medicines. Related: Sternly; sternness.

stark-naked(adj.)

of a person, "entirely without clothing," 1520s, deformed (by influence of stark (adj.)) from Middle English start naked (early 13c.), from stert, start "tail of an animal," from Old English steort "tail, rump," from Proto-Germanic *stertaz (source also of Old Norse stertr, Danish stjert, Middle Dutch stert, Dutch staart, Old High German sterz, German Sterz), from PIE *sterd-, extended form of root *ster- (1) "stiff."

The notion is perhaps "naked to the tail," hence completely naked (also compare modern colloquial bare-assed "completely naked"). Hence British slang starkers "naked" (1923).

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Trends of stark

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

stretch
Middle English strecchen, from Old English streccan (transitive and intransitive) "draw out to full length, spread out, prostrate (oneself);" also "to reach or extend in space" (past tense strehte, past participle streht). This is from Proto-Germanic *strakjanan (source also of D
tail
[hindmost part of an animal] Old English tægl, tægel "posterior extremity," from Proto-Germanic *tagla- (source also of Old High German zagal, German Zagel "tail," dialectal German Zagel "penis," Old Norse tagl "horse's tail," Gothic tagl "hair"), according to Watkins from PIE *d
blunt
c. 1200, blunt, blont, "dull, obtuse" (of persons), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from or related to Old Norse blundra "to shut one's eyes" (see blunder (v.)). Or from Old English blinnan (past participle blon) "to stop, cease, come to an end." Of tools or weapons, "not sharp, wit
strong
Grammatical sense, of noun and verb inflections, is first attested 1841, translating German stark, used in a grammatical...
fact
[Century Dictionary] Facts of life is by 1854 as "the stark realities of existence;" by 1913 it had also acquired a more...
perfect
early 15c. classical correction of Middle English parfit "flawless, ideal" (c. 1300), also "complete, full, finished, lacking in no way" (late 14c.), from Old French parfit "finished, completed, ready" (11c.), from Latin perfectus "completed, excellent, accomplished, exquisite,"
prefect
mid-14c., "civil or military official, governor, magistrate," from Old French prefect (12c., Modern French préfet) and directly from Latin praefectus "public overseer, superintendent, director," a title of certain magistrates, noun use of past participle of praeficere "to put in
bleak
c. 1300, bleik, "pale, pallid," from Old Norse bleikr "pale, whitish, blond," from Proto-Germanic *blaika- "shining, white" (source also of Old Saxon blek "pale, shining," Dutch bleek, Old High German bleih, German bleich), from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn," also "
complete
late 14c., "having no deficiency, wanting no part or element; perfect in kind or quality; finished, ended, concluded," from Old French complet "full," or directly from Latin completus, past participle of complere "to fill up, complete the number of (a legion, etc.)," transferred
barren
c. 1200, "incapable of producing its kind" (of female animals, plants), from Old French baraigne, baraing "sterile, barren" (12c.), perhaps originally brahain, a word of obscure derivation, possibly from a Germanic language. Its use in reference to males is rare. Of land, "produc

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