the verb 'strive' entered middle english from the old french 'estriver', meaning to quarrel, contend, or put up a fight. this old french term is believed to have germanic origins, likely from a frankish source related to the old high german 'strīt', meaning quarrel or dispute. the semantic journey moved from the physical sense of conflict and contention to the more abstract, effortful struggle to achieve a goal. its modern meaning retains the core idea of vigorous effort, but typically without the implication of physical combat.

the word is a simplex unit derived from the old french 'estriver'. it cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes based on its modern english spelling.