Where does “roe” come from?
Roe derives from Middle English roun, itself formed with Middle English -en and -en suffixes from Proto-Indo-European roots including krek-, ker-, i-, and en.
roe (English): The eggs of fish; The sperm of certain fish; The...
Definitions
- The eggs of fish; The sperm of certain fish; The...
Ancestry of “roe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rowe | Alternative form of rawe; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | English | rōw | A line of objects, often regularly spaced, such as seats in a theatre, vegetable plants in a garden, etc |
| 3 | English | roll | To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to... |
| 4 | Middle English | rolle | — |
| 5 | Old French | rolle | registration |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | rotulus | a roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a... |
| 7 | Latin | rotula | a small wheel; roll |
| 8 | Arabic | رَطْل | — |
| 9 | Classical Syriac | ܪܝܛܠܐ | — |
| 10 | Classical Syriac | ܠܝܛܪܐ | libra, pound |
| 11 | French | litre | litre |
| 12 | Medieval Latin | litra | — |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | λίτρα | litra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of... |
| 14 | Proto-Italic | *līðrā | ingot |