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Origin and history of startle

startle(v.)

c. 1300, stertelen, "move agitatedly, run to and fro" (intransitive), also "caper, romp, skip; leap, jump;" from Old English steartlian, from the source of start (v.) + frequentative suffix -le (as in topple, jostle, fizzle, etc.); see -el (3).

The sense of "move suddenly in surprise or fear" is recorded by 1520s. The transitive meaning "frighten suddenly, cause to start, excite by sudden surprise" is from 1590s.

The word retains more of the original meaning of start (v.). Related: Startled; startling; startlingly. As a noun from 1714, "sudden movement or mental shock caused by fear, alarm, etc."

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to startle

start(v.)

Middle English sterten, "leap, jump, cavort, caper," from Old English *steortian, *stiertan, Kentish variants of styrtan "to leap up" (but the Old English verb is attested only in Northumbrian past participle sturtende), from Proto-Germanic *stert- (source also of Old Frisian sterta, stirta "to fall, tumble," Middle Dutch sterten, storten, Dutch storten "to rush, fall," Old High German sturzen, German stürzen "to hurl, throw, plunge"). According to Watkins, the notion is "move briskly, move swiftly," and the Proto-Germanic word is from PIE root *ster- (1) "stiff."

From "move or spring suddenly," the sense extended by c. 1300 to include "awaken suddenly or abruptly; flinch or recoil in alarm," and by 1660s to "cause to begin acting or operating."

The meaning "begin to move, leave, or depart; enter upon action" (without implication of suddenness) is from 1821. The connection probably is from sporting senses ("force an animal from its lair," late 14c.). The transitive sense of "set in motion or action" is from 1670s; specifically as "set machinery in action" by 1841.

Related: Started; starting. To start in "begin" in any sense, is by 1873, American English; to start something "cause trouble" is by 1915, American English colloquial. To start over "begin again" is from 1912. In running, starting-line is so called by 1855; starting-block by 1937.

-el(3)

derivational suffix, also -le, used mostly with verbs but originally also with nouns, "often denoting diminutive, repetitive, or intensive actions or events" [The Middle English Compendium], from Old English. Compare brastlian alongside berstan (see burst); nestlian (see nestle) alongside nistan). It is likely also in wrestle, trample, draggle, struggle, twinkle, also noddle "to make frequent nods" (1733), and Chapman (1607) has strapple "bind with a strap." To twangle (1550s) was "to twang (a musical instrument string) lightly or frequently." New formations in Middle English might be native formations (jostle from joust) with this or borrowings from Dutch.

*ster-(1)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "stiff."

It might form all or part of: cholesterol; redstart; starch; stare; stark; stark-naked; start; startle; starve; stere; stereo-; stern (adj.); stork; strut; torpedo; torpid; torpor.

It might also be the source of: Greek stereos "solid," sterizein "to support," sterphnios "stiff, rigid," sterphos "hide, skin;" Sanskrit sthirah "hard, firm," Persian suturg "strong;" Lithuanian storas "thick," strėgti "to become frozen;" Old Church Slavonic trupeti, Lithuanian tirpstu, tirpti "to become rigid;" Old Church Slavonic strublu "strong, hard," staru "old" (hence Russian stary "old"); Old English starian "to stare," stearc "stiff, strong, rigid," steorfan "to die," literally "become stiff," styrne "severe, strict."