Where does “rough” come from?
Rough comes from Middle English rou, Old English rūh, Proto-Germanic rūhwaz, and Proto-Indo-European h₃rewk-, ultimately from the root h₃er-.
rough (English): Not smooth; uneven; Approximate; hasty or...
Definitions
- Not smooth; uneven; Approximate; hasty or...
Ancestry of “rough”, step by step
rough traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ruff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ruff | A circular frill or ruffle on a garment,... |
| 2 | German | Ruf | call; reputation |
| 3 | Middle High German | ruof | — |
| 4 | Old High German | ruof | — |
| 5 | Old High German | ruofan | to call |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | hrōpan | to cry out, to call, to shout |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | hrōpaną | to cry out, call, shout |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |