Английский Этимологический словарь - starch (v.)

- O.E. *stercan (Mercian), *stiercan (W.Saxon) "make rigid," found in stercedferhр "fixed, hard, resolute" (related to stearc "stiff"), from P.Gmc. *starkijanan. The noun meaning "pasty substance used to stiffen cloth" is first recorded 1440, from the verb.