An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/streben

by Friedrich Kluge

streben, vb., ‘to strive, struggle, endeavour,’ from MidHG. strëben, wk. vb., ‘to move violently, exert oneself, contend.’ The OHG. strong verb corresponding to the non-recorded wk. vb. *strëbên would be *strîban (*strîfan?), as is assumed by the Rom. loan-words. Comp. OFr. estriver, ‘to fight, wrestle,’ estrif, ‘contest,’ whence E. to strive, strife, are borrowed.