Etymograph

English

random

Random comes from Middle English randoun ‘force, haste’, from Old French randon ‘rapidity’, from randir ‘to run’, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną ‘to run’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rinnaną‘to run’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*randijōreconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*randiju‘a run, race’uncertain
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400randir‘to run, gallop’
  5. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400randon‘rapidity’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500randoun‘force, haste’
  7. English1500–presentrandon
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1485random

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rinnaną‘to run’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*randijōreconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*randiju‘a run, race’uncertain
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400randir‘to run, gallop’
  5. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400randon‘rapidity’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500randoun‘force, haste’
  7. English1500–presentrandon
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1485random

Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory: “they were messagers vnto kyng Ban & Bors sent…”

Linked words

through Proto-West Germanic *rinnan ‘to run’

ern, 1 more

Today it means

noun A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *rinnaną / random

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