Where does “rice” come from?
Rice comes from Middle English rys, from Old French ris, from Italian riso, ultimately from Latin ridere and sapere meaning to laugh and to know.
rice (English): Cereal plants, "Oryza sativa" of the grass family...
Definitions
- Cereal plants, "Oryza sativa" of the grass family...
Ancestry of “rice”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rys | rice |
| 2 | Old French | ris | reef |
| 3 | Italian | riso | laughter, laugh; rice; past participle of ridere |
| 4 | Latin | rīsus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ὄρυζα | rice |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | *wrinǰiš | — |
Words derived from “rice”