Where does “rubout” come from?

rubout (English) comes from English out, from Middle English oute, from Old English ūt, from Proto-West Germanic *ūt, from Proto-Germanic ūt, from Proto-Indo-European úd — out, outward.

rubout (English): An assassination; backspace

Definitions

  1. An assassination; backspace

Ancestry of “rubout”, step by step

rubout traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English out

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoutAway from the inside, centre or other point of...
2Middle Englishouteout
3Old Englishūtout
4Proto-West Germanic*ūtout, outward
5Proto-Germanicūtout, outward
6Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

via English rub

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrubAn act of rubbing; A difficulty or problem; A...
2Middle EnglishrubbenTo rub; to move back and forwards on a surface
3Saterland Frisianrubben—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →Every word from Proto-Germanic ūt →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *ūt →
rubout — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer