Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rugged” come from?

Rugged derives from Middle English -ed, Old English -od, and Proto-Indo-European h₃rewk-, h₃er-, and -tós, though the precise semantic development remains unclear.

rugged (English): Broken into sharp or irregular points; uneven;...

Definitions

  1. Broken into sharp or irregular points; uneven;...

Ancestry of “rugged”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrugA partial covering for a floor; A piece of...
2Middle Englishruggeridge
3Old Norserǫggshagginess; tuft; tuft, shagginess; tuft;...
4Proto-Germanicrūhazrough
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rewk-to dig; to till
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃er-to move, to stir; to rise, to spring; to quarrel,...

Words derived from “rugged”

  • ruggedness
  • unrugged
  • ruggedization
  • nonrugged
  • ruggedize
  • ruggedise
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃er- →