Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rust” come from?

Rust comes from Middle English rust, from Old French rostir, from Frankish rōstjan, from Proto-Indo-European h₁rewdʰ-.

rust (English): The deteriorated state of iron or steel as a...

Definitions

  1. The deteriorated state of iron or steel as a...

Ancestry of “rust”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishrust—
2Old Englishrūstrust
3Proto-Germanicrustazrust
4Proto-Indo-Europeanrudʰso-red
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁rewdʰ-red

Words derived from “rust”

  • rustbelt
  • rustless
  • rustproof
  • antirust
  • rustbucket
  • rustable
  • rustlike
  • rustlessness
  • unrustable
  • anti-rust
  • rustful
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁rewdʰ- →