Where does “ruse” come from?
Ruse comes from Middle English rūse, from Old French ruse and ruser meaning to turn back or dodge, derived from Latin rursus (turned back), formed from re- (back) and vertere (to turn), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
ruse (English): A turning or doubling back, especially of animals...
Definitions
- A turning or doubling back, especially of animals...
Ancestry of “ruse”, step by step
ruse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English rūse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rūse | evasive movements of a pursued animal; circuitous... |
| 2 | Old French | rëuse | — |
| 3 | Old French | ruser | to use cunning, to be crafty, beguile |
| 4 | Latin | rursus | backward, turned back; on the contrary; in... |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Bulgarian Ру́се
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgarian | Ру́се | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ῥοῦς | sumac; its fruit, used in medicine; ryegrass |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ῥόος | stream, flow, current |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | hrówos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | srówos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | srew- | to flow, stream |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |