English
rapter
Rapter comes from Latin raptor ‘kidnapper, thief’, from rapiō ‘seize, grab, snatch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁p-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁reh₁p-‘to take away, snatch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁r̥h₁pyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rapjō‘to seize, take away’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErapiō‘seize, grab, snatch’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEraptor‘kidnapper, thief’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500raptour
- Englishearliest quotation 1612rapter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁reh₁p-‘to take away, snatch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁r̥h₁pyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rapjō‘to seize, take away’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErapiō‘seize, grab, snatch’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEraptor‘kidnapper, thief’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500raptour
- Englishearliest quotation 1612rapter
Earliest quotation: 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion: “[…]chaste Winifrid: who chose Before her mayden-gem she forcibly…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁p- ‘to take away, snatch’
grave, repent, reeve, graf, surreptitious, 13 more
through Proto-Italic *rapjō ‘to seize, take away’
through Latin rapiō ‘seize, grab, snatch’
rape, rapid, ravine, rapture, rapacious, ravin, 7 more
through Middle English raptour
Today it means
noun —
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁p- / rapter