Where does “roleplay” come from?

roleplay (English) comes from English rôle, from French rôle, from Middle French rolle, from Old French role, from Medieval Latin rotulus, from Latin rotula, from Arabic رَطْل, from Classical Syriac ܪܝܛܠܐ — ingot.

roleplay (English): Alternative spelling of roleplay

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of roleplay

Ancestry of “roleplay”, step by step

roleplay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rôle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrôleDated spelling of role
2Frenchrôlerole; character
3Middle Frenchrollerole
4Old Frenchroleroll; scroll
5Medieval Latinrotulusa roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a...
6Latinrotulaa small wheel; roll
7Arabicرَطْل
8Classical Syriacܪܝܛܠܐ
9Classical Syriacܠܝܛܪܐlibra, pound
10Frenchlitrelitre
11Medieval Latinlitra
12Ancient Greekλίτραlitra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of...
13Proto-Italic*līðrāingot

via English play

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplayTo act in a manner such that one has fun; to...
2Middle EnglishpleyeHappiness, mirth, jolliness, or gaiety; Fun,...
3Old Englishpleġaexercise
4Proto-West Germanicplegōcare; an exercise; a game
5Proto-West GermanicCreates adverbs from adjectives; Creates agent...
6Proto-Germanic-ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade...
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanDerives nouns from roots

Words derived from “roleplay

Every word from Proto-Italic *līðrā