Where does “ratemaker” come from?

ratemaker (English) comes from English rate, from French rate, from French rat, from Middle French rat, from Old French rat, from Old High German rato, from Proto-Germanic ratō, from Proto-Germanic rattaz — to scrape.

ratemaker (English): One who sets the rates to be charged for something

Definitions

  1. One who sets the rates to be charged for something

Ancestry of “ratemaker”, step by step

ratemaker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rate

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrateThe worth of something; value; The proportional...
2Frenchratespleen; female equivalent of rat; female rat;...
3Frenchratrat; sweetheart; scrooch
4Middle Frenchratrat
5Old Frenchratrat rodent
6Old High Germanratorat
7Proto-Germanicratō
8Proto-Germanicrattazrat
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreh₃d-to scrape

via English maker

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmakerSomeone who makes; a person or thing that makes...
2Middle EnglishmakerGod as creator of all; Someone who makes; a...
3Middle EnglishmakenTo make or create; to have something made
4Old Englishmacianto make
5Emilianmâciaspot, stain
6LatinMacula
7Proto-Indo-Europeansmh₁-tleh₂
8Proto-Indo-Europeansmeh₁-smear, rub
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₃d-