Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rubble” come from?

Rubble comes from Middle English rouble, from Anglo-Norman robel, originally denoting broken stone or debris from destroyed structures.

rubble (English): The broken remains of an object, usually rock or...

Definitions

  1. The broken remains of an object, usually rock or...

Ancestry of “rubble”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishrouble—
2Anglo-Normanrobelbits of broken stone

Words derived from “rubble”

  • rubbly
  • rubblework
  • rubblestone
Every word from Anglo-Norman robel →