Where does “rat race” come from?
rat race (English) comes from English race, from Middle French race, from Italian razza, from Italian razzo, from Italian raggio, from Latin radius, from English -án, from Middle English -an.
rat race (English): An activity or situation which is congested with...
Definitions
- An activity or situation which is congested with...
Ancestry of “rat race”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | race | A contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc.... |
| 2 | Middle French | race | race; breed |
| 3 | Italian | razza | race, breed; kind, type; family, descent |
| 4 | Italian | razzo | skyrocket; Ellipsis of razzo di segnalazione;... |
| 5 | Italian | raggio | ray, beam, shaft; spoke; radius |
| 6 | Latin | radius | ray; staff, rod; spoke |
| 7 | English | -án | — |
| 8 | Middle English | -an | — |