Where does “ravens” come from?
Ravens derives from Middle English raven, from Old English hræfn, cognate with Old English ġerēfa, ultimately from Latin rapere meaning "to seize," rooted in Proto-Indo-European h₁rep-.
ravens (English): plural of raven
Definitions
- plural of raven
Ancestry of “ravens”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | raven | Any of several, generally large and lustrous... |
| 2 | Middle English | raven | to wander; to rave; talk like a madman |
| 3 | Old English | hræfn | raven |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hrabn | raven |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hrabnaz | raven |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorh₂- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |