Where does “rank” come from?
Rank comes from Middle English rank, from Old French reng, from Frankish hring, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European reǵ- and h₃reǵ-, ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-.
rank (English): Strong of its kind or in character; unmitigated;...
Definitions
- Strong of its kind or in character; unmitigated;...
Ancestry of “rank”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rank | line, row; strong, proud |
| 2 | Old English | ranc | proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, froward,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | rankaz | erect, upright |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | reǵ- | to bind; straight, direct; straight, right |
Words derived from “rank”