'Straight' is the past participle of 'stretch' — literally 'that which has been stretched taut.'
Extending or moving uniformly in one direction without a curve or bend; properly ordered or arranged; honest and direct.
From Middle English 'streight,' the past participle of 'strecchen' (to stretch), from Old English 'streccan' (to stretch, extend, spread out), from Proto-Germanic *strakjaną (to stretch, to make straight), from PIE *sterg- (to be rigid, stiff). 'Straight' is etymologically 'stretched' — something made straight by being pulled taut. It is not related to 'strait' (narrow), which comes from Latin 'strictus' (drawn tight), though both share the underlying concept of tension. Key roots: *streccan (Old English: "to stretch, to extend"), *sterg- (Proto-Indo-European: "stiff, rigid
'Straight' is literally the past participle of 'stretch' — something that has been stretched is straight. The two words diverged in spelling and pronunciation through Middle English, but they remain etymological siblings. Meanwhile, 'strait' (as in Strait of Gibraltar) is a completely unrelated word from Latin 'strictus' (tight), despite the similar sound and the overlapping historical spellings that have confused writers for centuries.