Where does “ruin” come from?
Ruin comes from Middle English ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruina meaning "a falling down," from Latin ruo meaning "to fall," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃rew-.
ruin (English): The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated...
Definitions
- The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated...
Ancestry of “ruin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ruyne | Decline, decay, deterioration; loss of greatness;... |
| 2 | Old French | ruine | ruin |
| 3 | Latin | ruīna | — |
| 4 | Latin | ruō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rew- | to run, to hurry |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -w- | — |
Words derived from “ruin”