Where does “unruffable” come from?
unruffable (English) comes from English ruff, from German Ruf, from Middle High German ruof, from Old High German ruof, from Old High German ruofan, from Proto-West Germanic hrōpan, from Proto-Germanic hrōpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer- — army.
unruffable (English): imperturbable
Ancestry of “unruffable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | ruff | A circular frill or ruffle on a garment,... |
| 2 | German | Ruf | call; reputation |
| 3 | Middle High German | ruof | — |
| 4 | Old High German | ruof | — |
| 5 | Old High German | ruofan | to call |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | hrōpan | to cry out, to call, to shout |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | hrōpaną | to cry out, call, shout |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |