Stricken
/ˈstrɪkən/noun
Struck, afflicted, or deeply affected by something harmful or emotional.
Did you know?Its core comes from the ancient Germanic root for “strike,” the same family that gave English *strike* and *stroke*—so being “stricken” literally began as being physically hit before it became emotional or tragic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*str̥k-
“to strike, thrust, or hit”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*strīkaną
“to stroke, pass over, or strike”
Old English
OE
strīcan
“to stroke, glide, or move smoothly”
Middle English
ME
striken
“to strike; also the past participle of strike”
Modern English
English
stricken
“past participle of strike; afflicted, overcome, or deeply affected”