Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “rent” come from?

rent (Middle English) comes from Old French rente, from Medieval Latin rendita, from Latin rendō, from Latin reddō, from Latin dō, from Proto-Italic didō, from Proto-Indo-European dédeh₃ti, from Proto-Indo-European deh₃- — to give.

Ancestry of “rent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchrenteincome
2Medieval Latinrendita—
3Latinrendō—
4Latinreddō—
5Latindō—
6Proto-Italicdidōgive
7Proto-Indo-Europeandédeh₃tito be giving
8Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₃-to give

Words derived from “rent”

  • rent
  • rental
  • renter
  • rentable
  • quitrent
  • liferent
  • nonrental
  • unrent
  • liferenter
  • rentability
  • rerent
  • antirent
  • unrentable
  • rentor
  • liferentrix
  • rentee
  • antirentism
  • subrent
  • antirenter
  • overrent
  • nonrentable
  • renthouse
  • sub-renter
  • renterer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deh₃- →