Stir
/stɜːr/noun
To move something around or mix it up; to rouse or provoke action or feeling.
Did you know?English stir is ancient, and its deeper history is tied to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to stir up or agitate,” which is why related words across languages often carry the same sense of violent movement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ster-
“to strew, scatter, or stir up”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sturjaną
“to stir, agitate, or move about”
Old English
OE
styrian
“to move, rouse, excite, or disturb”
Middle English
ME
stirren
“to move, agitate, or set in motion”
Modern English
English
stir
“to move around or mix; to rouse or provoke”