Etymograph

English

rest

Rest comes from Old English ræst, from Proto-Germanic *rastō ‘interval’, of uncertain origin.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rastō‘interval’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rastureconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150ræst
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rest
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rastō‘interval’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rastureconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150ræst
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rest
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And the land had rest fourscore years.”

The story

From Middle English rest, reste, from Old English ræst, from Proto-West Germanic *rastu, from Proto-Germanic *rastō, of uncertain origin; possibly derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (‘to rest’) or *Hre(h₁)s- (‘to flow, rush’).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- ‘to rest’

row, rare, rudder, roo, ramshackle, ransack, rother, 5 more

Another origin of rest

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ros-reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rastijan‘to rest’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150restan‘to rest’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500resten
  5. Englishtodayrest

Another origin of rest

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErestō‘to stay back, stay behind’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rester‘to remain’
  8. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400reste
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  10. Englishtodayrest

Replaced native Middle English lave (‘rest, remainder’) (from Old English lāf (‘remnant, remainder’)).

Another origin of rest

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘stand’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErestō‘to stand firm’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400rester
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500resten
  9. Englishtodayrest

Today it means

noun Relief from work or activity by sleeping; sleep.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *rastō / rest

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