Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ripple” come from?

Ripple comes from Middle English rimpel, Old English hrimpele, and Proto-Germanic hrumpiljǭ, which likely related to wrinkling or forming small ridges.

ripple (English): A moving disturbance, or undulation, in the...

Definitions

  1. A moving disturbance, or undulation, in the...

Ancestry of “ripple”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrimpleA wrinkle; To wrinkle or crease
2Middle Englishrimpel—
3Old Englishhrimpele—
4Proto-Germanichrumpiljǭ—
5Proto-Germanic*hrimpaną—

Words derived from “ripple”

  • rippling
  • ripply
  • ripplingly
  • rippler
  • aripple
  • ripplet
  • ripplon
  • rippleth
  • ripplest
  • ripplonic
  • nanoripple
Every word from Proto-Germanic *hrimpaną →