stream English · revision 4201

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=a. 850|origins=ine-pro *srewh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /striːm/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|streme]], strem,^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) [[inh|ang|strēam|t=a course of water]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*straumaz|alt=*strauma-]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) the source also of Old Saxon strōm, Old Norse straumr, Dutch stroom and German Strom “current, river”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*srewh₁-|alt=*sreu-|t=to flow]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) the source also of Greek rheîn “to flow”, Old Irish sruaimm “river”, Lithuanian sravėti “to trickle” and Sanskrit srávati “it flows”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Boutkan notes that the Germanic insertion of -t- in the cluster *sr is automatic, as in Old English swester “sister”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A course of water forming a river or brook: Old English before 850, according to Barnhart;^(Barnhart 1988) about 875 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old and Middle English it was sometimes also the ocean or a navigable channel of it.^(Etymonline) “Anything issuing from a source and flowing continuously” is from the early 12th century.^(Etymonline) A steady current in the sea, as in the [[Gulf Stream]], and in a river, are from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The general sense, a continued course of anything moving in one direction, is by the 1580s.^(Etymonline) ''Stream of consciousness'' is recorded in psychology in 1855 and in literary criticism by 1930,^(Etymonline) and ''stream of thought'' in psychology from 1890.^(Etymonline) The verb, “to flow copiously”, is from the early 13th century, probably before 1200 in the Ancrene Riwle;^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) of light it is from the late 14th century, of flags from the 1550s and of hair from 1731.^(Etymonline) A ''streamer'', a flag floating in the air, is from 1292,^(Barnhart 1988) and ''streamline'' from 1898.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 850 – a river or brook.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 12th century – anything flowing.^(Etymonline)

+ * early 13th century – verb, to flow.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – a current in the sea.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1580s – a continued course.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1855 – ''stream of consciousness''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1898 – ''streamline''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A flow of water in a channel, such as a brook or small [[river]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A steady current of water, air or other fluid.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A steady flow or succession: ''a stream of visitors''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A trend or drift, as of opinion: ''the mainstream''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(chiefly British)'' A group of pupils of similar ability taught together.^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To flow in or as if in a stream.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To pour forth; to give off a stream: ''eyes streaming with tears''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To come or go in large numbers: ''fans streamed out''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To float or wave outward, as hair or a flag.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To transmit or receive audio or video continuously over the Internet.^(MWU 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[streamy]]

+ * [[streamless]]

+ * [[streamlike]]

+ * [[bloodstream]]

+ * [[headstream]]

+ * [[interstream]]

+ * [[mainstream]]

+ * [[millstream]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[streamer]]

+ * [[streamline]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}