Where does “rafter” come from?
Rafter comes from English raff, from Old French -er, from Latin -are, ultimately from Proto-Italic -os, a suffix forming agent nouns.
rafter (English): One of a series of sloped beams that extend from...
Definitions
- One of a series of sloped beams that extend from...
Ancestry of “rafter”, step by step
rafter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English raft
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | raft | A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on... |
| 2 | English | raff | A promiscuous heap; a jumble; a large quantity;... |
| 3 | Middle English | raf | Alternative form of reif |
| 4 | Old French | raffer | to wear away |
via Old English ræfter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ræfter | rafter element of a roof |