Etymograph

English

rebel

Rebel comes from Old French rebelle ‘rebellious’, from Latin rebellis ‘waging war again’, and ultimately from Old Latin duellum.

  1. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEduellum
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellum‘war’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellō‘to wage war’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErebellō‘to wage war again, fight back’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErebellis‘waging war again’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rebelle‘rebellious’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rebel‘a sinner’
  8. Englishtodayrebel

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEduellum
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellum‘war’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellō‘to wage war’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErebellō‘to wage war again, fight back’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErebellis‘waging war again’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rebelle‘rebellious’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rebel‘a sinner’
  8. Englishtodayrebel

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- ‘to fit’

down, town, tool, teen, dynamic, dynasty, tow, dun, dynamo, dynastic, tine, taw, 94 more

through Proto-Italic *dwenos ‘good’

bona, benefice, beaucoup, beauteous, 37 more

through Archaic Latin duenos

bonus, ben, optimal, beneficial, bonnie, optimism, boon, beneficiary, bonny, bene, bonbon, 37 more

through Old Latin *duenelos

beautiful, beauty, boo, beau, beal, bello, bauble, 19 more

through Old Latin duellum

duel, bellicose, 16 more

through Latin bellum ‘war’

belligerent, 12 more

through Latin rebellō ‘to wage war again, fight back’

revel, 5 more

Another origin of rebel

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewh₂-‘to fit’uncertain
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dwenos‘good’reconstructed
  3. Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEduenos
  4. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCE*duenelosuncertain
  5. Old Latin, derivedc. 700–75 BCEduellum
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellum‘war’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellō‘to wage war’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErebellō‘to wage war again, fight back’
  9. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rebeller‘to rebel’
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rebellen‘to rebel’
  11. Englishtodayrebel

Today it means

noun A person who resists an established authority, often violently.

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

Etymograph / Old Latin duellum / rebel

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