Where does “rule” come from?
rule (Middle English) comes from Old French reule, from Latin rēgula, from Latin -ula, from Proto-Indo-European -tlom, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
Ancestry of “rule”, step by step
rule traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French reule
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | reule | rule; ruler; rule |
| 2 | Latin | rēgula | rule, bar |
| 3 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via Old French riule
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | riule | — |