Where does “ruffianous” come from?
ruffianous (English) comes from English ous, from English ou, from Afrikaans ou, from Dutch oud, from Middle Dutch out, from Old Dutch ald, from Proto-West Germanic ald, from Proto-Germanic aldaz — to grow, nourish.
ruffianous (English): Like a ruffian
Definitions
- Like a ruffian
Ancestry of “ruffianous”, step by step
ruffianous traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ous
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ous | plural of ou |
| 2 | English | ou | A probably extinct species of Hawaiian... |
| 3 | Afrikaans | ou | An old fellow, guy, bloke; attributive form of... |
| 4 | Dutch | oud | old |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | out | old |
| 6 | Old Dutch | ald | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | ald | old |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | aldaz | old, grown up |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eltós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂él- | to grow, nourish |
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 |