Where does “roulette” come from?
roulette (Dutch) comes from French roulette, from French rouler, from Old French ruele, from Medieval Latin rotulo, from Latin rotula, from Arabic رَطْل, from Classical Syriac ܪܝܛܠܐ, from Classical Syriac ܠܝܛܪܐ — ingot.
Ancestry of “roulette”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | roulette | small wheel; caster, castor; cycloid |
| 2 | French | rouler | to roll; to revolve; to go |
| 3 | Old French | ruele | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | rotulo | dative singular of rotulus; ablative singular of... |
| 5 | Latin | rotula | a small wheel; roll |
| 6 | Arabic | رَطْل | — |
| 7 | Classical Syriac | ܪܝܛܠܐ | — |
| 8 | Classical Syriac | ܠܝܛܪܐ | libra, pound |
| 9 | French | litre | litre |
| 10 | Medieval Latin | litra | — |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | λίτρα | litra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of... |
| 12 | Proto-Italic | *līðrā | ingot |