English
rap
Rap comes from Middle English rap.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rap
- Englishearliest quotation 1847same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history not traced here.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rap
- Englishearliest quotation 1847same form
Earliest quotation: 1847, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […]: “The teacher sat at one end of the bench,…”
Every English word from Middle English rap
Another origin of rap
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rappen‘to strike, smite’
- Englishtodayrap
Today it means
noun A sharp blow with something hard.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English rap / rap