An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/streng
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streng, adjective, ‘strict, severe, stern,’ from Middle High German stręnge, adjective, Old High German stręngi, ‘strong, brave, hard, unfriendly’ (to which the adverb Middle High German strange, Old High German strango, is allied); compare Old Saxon strang, Dutch streng, Anglo-Saxon and English strong, and the equivalent Old Icelandic strangr. Its connection with Strang (strenge, literally ‘tense’) has been already suggested, yet compare also Lettic stringt, ‘to grow tight, withered.’ —