"R" Word Origins

rajbari

Origin

Borrowed from Hindi राजबाड़ी (rājbāṛī).

Rajesh

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit राजेश (rājeśa).

Rajiv

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit राजीव (rājīva, "lotus flower").

Rajput

Sanskrit

From Hindi rājpūt, from Sanskrit rājaputra, literally "son of a king" — from rājan ("king") and putra ("son").

Raju

Sanskrit

Borrowed from Telugu రాజు (rāju, "king"), from Sanskrit राजन् (rājan).

rake

Old English

From Old English raca/racu, "tool with a row of teeth", from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to straighten" — the "immoral man" sense developed separately, likely a shortening of "rakehell".

rakehell

Origin

From to rake (out) hell (“to search through hell thoroughly”), in the sense of a person so evil or immoral that they cannot be found in hell even after an extensive search: see rake (“to search through (thoroughly)”). Compare rakeshame.

rakhi

Sanskrit

From Hindi rākhī, from Sanskrit rakṣikā, related to rakṣā ("protection") — the same root behind the idea of "guarding" a sibling bond.

raki

Arabic

From Ottoman Turkish rakı, ultimately from Arabic ʕaraq ("sweat, distilled liquor") — a distant relative of the word "arrack".

rale

Origin

From French râle (“groan”).

Raleigh

Old English

From Old English rā, rāha ("roe deer") + lēah ("woodland, clearing").

Rallo

Italian

Borrowed from Italian Rallo.

rally

Old French

From French rallier, from Old French ralier, made up of re- ("again") and allier ("to ally") — literally "to bind together again".

ralph

Origin · 1960

US slang from the 1960s, of uncertain origin, likely just a jokey use of the personal name Ralph rather than any older word.

ralphie

Origin

Said to derive from Ralph Gardener's High School, a school in North Shields, England once known for its rough reputation, plus the diminutive "-ie".

Ralston

Old English

From the Old English personal name Rǣdwulf ("Ralph") + tūn ("settlement").

ram

Old English

From Old English ramm, "male sheep" — a very old Germanic word, related to similar words in Dutch and German for the same animal.

ramada

Spanish

From Spanish ramada, itself from rama, "branch" — describing the leafy branches once used to build the roof.

Ramadan

Arabic

Borrowed from Arabic رَمَضَان (ramaḍān).

Raman

Origin

Belarusian Рама́н (Ramán)

Rambabu

Origin

From Ram (the god) + babu ("son").

ramble

Middle English · 1630

Probably from an old dialect word rammle, related to Middle English ramen ("to roam"); the sense of "talking incoherently" developed later, around the 1630s.

rambler

Origin

From ramble + -er.

Rambo

Origin

From the fictional character John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran in the Rambo film series, whose surname itself traces back to Scandinavian settler families in the United States.

ramen

Chinese

Borrowed from Japanese rāmen, which itself came from the Chinese term for "pulled noodles."

Ramesh

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit रमेश (rameśa), an epithet of Vishnu meaning "husband of Rama".

Ramesses

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Ῥαμέσσης (Rhaméssēs), from Egyptian rꜥ-ms-sw.

Rami

Arabic

Borrowed from Arabic رَامِي (rāmī).

ramification

Origin

From Middle French ramification, or its source, Medieval Latin rāmificātiō. By surface analysis, ramify + -ication.

ramifications

Latin

Via French ramification from Latin ramus 'branch' — literally a branching out, from which the sense of consequences spreading like branches developed.

ramify

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French ramifier, from Medieval Latin ramificō (“to branch, ramify”), from Latin rāmus (“a branch”) + -ficō (causative suffix).

Ramirez

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish Ramírez.

rammer

Origin

From ram (to strike or drive forcefully) + the agent suffix -er.

Ramona

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish Ramona.

Ramos

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish and Portuguese Ramos, from ramo ("branch").

ramp

French

From French rampe, related to ramper, "to crawl or climb" — the same root that gives us "rampant."

rampage

Origin

From Scots rampage, likely built from ramp (as in "rampant") plus the suffix -age.

rampant

Old French

From Old French rampant, present participle of ramper, "to climb or creep" — originally used in heraldry to describe an animal reared up on its hind legs.

rampart

Latin

From Middle French rempart, "fortification," built from re- ("again") plus emparer ("to fortify or seize"), ultimately from Latin roots meaning "to prepare."

ramrod

Origin

A straightforward compound of ram ("to force something in") and rod.

Ramsay

Origin

Variant spelling of Ramsey.

Ramsey

Old English

From Old English hramsa ("wild garlic") + īeġ ("island").

ramzi

Origin

Borrowed from Arabic رَمْزِيّ (ramziyy).

ran

Hebrew

From Hebrew רָן (ran).

Rana

Italian

From Hindi राणा (rāṇā, a Rajput title), or from Italian/Spanish rana ("frog"), or from a Galician place name.

rance

Latin

From Old French ranche, tracing back to Latin ramex/ramus ("branch"), the same idea of a supporting limb behind the English word "ramus."

ranch

Spanish

From American Spanish rancho, "small farm" or "group of farm huts" — originally referring to a group of people who ate together.

ranchboy

Origin

From ranch + boy.