Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “ram” come from?

ram (Middle English) comes from Old English ramm, from Proto-West Germanic *ramm, from Proto-Germanic rammaz — strong; overbearing; acrid; rank; A male sheep;...

ram (Middle English): male sheep, ram; Aries; pile driver, battering...

Definitions

  1. male sheep, ram; Aries; pile driver, battering...

Ancestry of “ram”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishrammram; battering ram
2Proto-West Germanic*ramm—
3Proto-Germanicrammazstrong; overbearing; acrid; rank; A male sheep;...

Words derived from “ram”

  • ram
  • ramrod
  • rammer
  • ramjet
  • ramshorn
  • turboramjet
  • rammy
  • rammable
  • ramline
  • rams
  • turbo-ramjet
  • ram-packed
  • rammee
  • ramraid
Every word from Proto-Germanic rammaz →