Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “robber” come from?

robber (Middle French) comes from Old French rober, from Latin raubāre, from Frankish raubōn, from Proto-Germanic raubōną, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewp-, from Proto-Indo-European Hrew- — to tear out, dig out, open, acquire.

robber (Middle French): to pillage; to plunder; to steal; to pinch

Definitions

  1. to pillage; to plunder; to steal; to pinch

Ancestry of “robber”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchroberto rob; to steal
2Latinraubāre—
3Frankishraubōnto rob, plunder; to rob, to steal, to plunder
4Proto-Germanicraubōnąto rob, steal, plunder
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrewp-to break, tear
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrew-to tear out, dig out, open, acquire
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hrew- →