Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rapier” come from?

Rapier comes from Middle French rapiere, from Old French rapiere, of uncertain origin and meaning.

rapier (English): A slender, straight, sharply pointed sword;...

Definitions

  1. A slender, straight, sharply pointed sword;...

Ancestry of “rapier”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchrapiere—
2Old Frenchrapiere—
3Spanishraspaderapoker; raker; scraper
4Spanishrasparto file down or sand down; to scrape; to scratch,...
5Latinraspāre—
6Frankishhraspōnto rasp, to grate, to scratch
7Proto-Germanichraspōnąto rasp, grate, scrape; to steal
8Proto-Germanichrespanąto tear; rip; to plunder
9Proto-Indo-European(s)krebʰ-to turn; bend; shrink
10Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
11Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “rapier”

  • rapierlike
  • rapiered
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →