Where does “roofhol” come from?
roofhol (Dutch) comes from Dutch roven, from Middle Dutch rôven, from Old Dutch rōvon, from Proto-West Germanic raubōn, from Proto-Germanic raubōną, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewp-, from Proto-Indo-European Hrew- — to tear out, dig out, open, acquire.
roofhol (Dutch): a robbers' den
Definitions
- a robbers' den
Ancestry of “roofhol”, step by step
roofhol traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch roven
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | roven | to rob |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | rôven | to rob, to plunder, to pillage |
| 3 | Old Dutch | rōvon | to steal |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | raubōn | to rob, to steal, to plunder |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | raubōną | to rob, steal, plunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrewp- | to break, tear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrew- | to tear out, dig out, open, acquire |