Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “rest” come from?

rest (Middle English) comes from Old English ræst, from Proto-West Germanic rastu, from Proto-Germanic rastō, from Proto-Indo-European ros-.

Ancestry of “rest”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishræstrest, quiet, freedom from toil, repose, sleep,...
2Proto-West Germanicrasturest
3Proto-Germanicrastōinterval; rest
4Proto-Indo-Europeanros-—

Words derived from “rest”

  • rest
  • unrest
  • restroom
  • armrest
  • headrest
  • backrest
  • resteth
  • footrest
  • resthouse
  • restest
  • chinrest
  • restharrow
  • restframe
  • bookrest
  • restward
  • resthold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ros- →