Where does “on-ramp” come from?
on-ramp (English) comes from English ramp, from French rampe, from French ramper, from Middle French ramper, from Old French ramper, from Frankish rampōn, from Frankish rampa, from Proto-Germanic hrempaną — to cut, cut off, sever.
on-ramp (English): A segment of roadway that directs vehicular traffic from local roads onto a freeway
Definitions
- A segment of roadway that directs vehicular traffic from local roads onto a freeway
Ancestry of “on-ramp”, step by step
on-ramp traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ramp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ramp | An inclined surface that connects two levels; an... |
| 2 | French | rampe | ramp |
| 3 | French | ramper | to crawl, worm (along); to creep |
| 4 | Middle French | ramper | to crawl |
| 5 | Old French | ramper | to climb; to ascend; to go up |
| 6 | Frankish | rampōn | — |
| 7 | Frankish | rampa | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | hrempaną | to bend, curve, make waves, wrinkle; to curve,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kreb- | to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |