Where does “rhyming” come from?
Rhyming derives from Middle English rimen, from Old English rīm, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to flow or arrange.
rhyming (English): present participle of rhyme; rhyme
Definitions
- present participle of rhyme; rhyme
Ancestry of “rhyming”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rhyme | Rhyming verse; A thought expressed in verse; a... |
| 2 | Middle English | rimen | to count, enumerate |
| 3 | Old English | rīman | to count, enumerate, number; to count, number,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rūmijan | to make room, to clear out |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rūmijaną | to make room, to clear |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rūmaz | roomy, spacious, open |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |