entry
strife
/straɪf/Bitter conflict or determined struggle between opposing sides
From O.French, probably from a Germanic source strife (Conflict).
from Middle English strif, stryf, striffe
from Anglo-French estreif , Old French estrif "fight, battle, combat, conflict; torment, distress; dispute, quarrel,"...
from Middle English strif, stryf, striffe
from Middle English strif, stryf, striffe
Word Ancestry
from Middle English strif, stryf, striffe
from Anglo-French estreif , Old French estrif "fight, battle, combat, conflict; torment, distress; dispute, quarrel,"...
from Middle English strif, stryf, striffe
from Middle English strif, stryf, striffe
Strife arrived in English around 1200 wearing French clothing: Old French estrif meant everything from a battlefield clash to a quarrel and even torment. But French may only have been the middleman; scholars commonly connect it to a Frankish or broader Germanic fighting word, related to Old High German stritan, “to fight.” That proposed family also brushes against the older sense of English stride, when to stride meant to move forcefully or aggressively—an argument you can almost see marching across the room. English later produced strift, a now-obsolete companion form, in the same sort of sound-pairing seen in drive/drift and thrive/thrift. So when people speak of “strife,” imagine not merely disagreement but two people digging in, feet planted wide, each turning language into a small battlefield.
The Story
Strife arrived in English around 1200 wearing French clothing: Old French estrif meant everything from a battlefield clash to a quarrel and even torment. But French may only have been the middleman; scholars commonly connect it to a Frankish or broader Germanic fighting word, related to Old High German stritan, “to fight.” That proposed family also brushes against the older sense of English stride, when to stride meant to move forcefully or aggressively—an argument you can almost see marching across the room. English later produced strift, a now-obsolete companion form, in the same sort of sound-pairing seen in drive/drift and thrive/thrift. So when people speak of “strife,” imagine not merely disagreement but two people digging in, feet planted wide, each turning language into a small battlefield.
Modern Usage
To fight or argue with friends or family; a low-confidence slang use
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries using strife as a verb for fighting or arguing
Kin & Kindred
From 'strife'·Conflict, quarrel, struggle, or striving
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary