Where does “ruffianage” come from?
ruffianage (English) comes from English age, from Middle English age, from Old French aage, from Vulgar Latin aetaticum, from Latin aetās, from Latin aevitās, from Proto-Italic aiwotāts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.
ruffianage (English): Ruffians collectively; a body of ruffians
Definitions
- Ruffians collectively; a body of ruffians
Ancestry of “ruffianage”, step by step
ruffianage traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English age
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | age | The whole duration of a being, whether animal,... |
| 2 | Middle English | age | The age of someone or rarely something; how old someone is |
| 3 | Old French | aage | age |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | aetaticum | age |
| 5 | Latin | aetās | the period of a life: lifetime, lifespan |
| 6 | Latin | aevitās | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | aiwotāts | age |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |
via English ruffian
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ruffian | A scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful,... |
| 2 | Middle French | rufian | — |
| 3 | Italian | ruffiano | pander, procurer, pimp; bootlicker; sycophant |
| 4 | Italian | roffia | scraps of tanned leather |
| 5 | Old High German | hrŭf | eschar, crust |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hreubaz | rough, crusty, scabby |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kreup- | scab, crust |