Where does “ruffianlike” come from?
ruffianlike (English) comes from English like, from Dutch luik, from Middle Dutch luke, from Dutch luiken, from Middle Dutch luken, from Old Dutch lūcan, from Proto-West Germanic lūkan, from Proto-Germanic lūkaną — to break, tear; to break, shatter.
ruffianlike (English): Like a ruffian
Definitions
- Like a ruffian
Ancestry of “ruffianlike”, step by step
ruffianlike traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English like
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | like | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;... |
| 2 | Dutch | luik | hatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | luke | — |
| 4 | Dutch | luiken | to close, to shut |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | luken | to close, to shut; to close, to become closed |
| 6 | Old Dutch | lūcan | to close, shut |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | lūkan | to close, to shut |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | lūkaną | to close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewǵ- | to break, tear; to break, shatter |
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 |