Where does “rowdy” come from?
Rowdy derives from English row, which comes from Middle English rawe, ultimately tracing through Latin ruta and Proto-Indo-European roots including krek-, ker-, i-, and en.
rowdy (English): Loud and disorderly; riotous; boisterous; A...
Definitions
- Loud and disorderly; riotous; boisterous; A...
Ancestry of “rowdy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | row | A line of objects, often regularly spaced, such... |
| 2 | Middle English | rowe | Alternative form of rawe; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | English | rōw | A line of objects, often regularly spaced, such as seats in a theatre, vegetable plants in a garden, etc |
| 4 | English | roll | To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to... |
| 5 | Middle English | rolle | — |
| 6 | Old French | rolle | registration |
| 7 | Medieval Latin | rotulus | a roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a... |
| 8 | Latin | rotula | a small wheel; roll |
| 9 | Arabic | رَطْل | — |
| 10 | Classical Syriac | ܪܝܛܠܐ | — |
| 11 | Classical Syriac | ܠܝܛܪܐ | libra, pound |
| 12 | French | litre | litre |
| 13 | Medieval Latin | litra | — |
| 14 | Ancient Greek | λίτρα | litra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of... |
| 15 | Proto-Italic | *līðrā | ingot |