Where does “rapscallion” come from?
rapscallion (English) comes from English rascallion, from English rascal, from Middle English rascaile, from Old French rascaille, from Old French rasque, from Vulgar Latin rasico, from Latin rāsus, from Latin rādō — to scrape, scratch, gnaw.
rapscallion (English): A rascal, scamp, rogue, or scoundrel;...
Definitions
- A rascal, scamp, rogue, or scoundrel;...
Ancestry of “rapscallion”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rascallion | Archaic form of rapscallion |
| 2 | English | rascal | A dishonest person; a rogue, a scoundrel, a... |
| 3 | Middle English | rascaile | people of the lowest class; rabble of an army |
| 4 | Old French | rascaille | rabble; mob |
| 5 | Old French | rasque | mud, filth, scab, dregs |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | rasico | to scrape |
| 7 | Latin | rāsus | scraped, shaved |
| 8 | Latin | rādō | to scrape, shave, scratch |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | razdō | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | rh₁d-dʰ- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | reh₁d- | to scrape, scratch, gnaw |