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

  1. Strong of its kind or in character; unmitigated;...

Ancestry of “rank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishrankline, row; strong, proud
2Old Englishrancproud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, froward,...
3Proto-Germanicrankazerect, upright
4Proto-Indo-Europeanreǵ-to bind; straight, direct; straight, right

Words derived from “rank”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European reǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic rankaz →Every word from Old English ranc →
rank — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer