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