Where does “ruler” come from?
Ruler comes from Middle English reuler, formed from Old French -er (agent suffix) attached to a verb stem, derived from Latin -arius (noun-forming suffix) and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- meaning to direct or rule.
ruler (English): A (usually rigid), flat, rectangular measuring or drawing device with graduations in units of measurement; a straightedge with markings
Definitions
- A (usually rigid), flat, rectangular measuring or drawing device with graduations in units of measurement; a straightedge with markings
Ancestry of “ruler”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | reuler | ruler, leader, governor; ruler |
| 2 | Middle English | reule | legal code, set of rules; moral code, principles;... |
| 3 | Old French | reule | rule; ruler; rule |
| 4 | Latin | rēgula | rule, bar |
| 5 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |