English
roam
Roam comes from Middle English romen ‘to roam’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *raimōną ‘to wander’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*raimōną‘to wander’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150rāmian
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500romen‘to roam’
- Englishearliest quotation 1671roam
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*raimōną‘to wander’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150rāmian
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500romen‘to roam’
- Englishearliest quotation 1671roam
Earliest quotation: 1671, John Milton, The First Book: “And now wild beasts came forth the woods to…”.
Linked words
through Middle English romen ‘to roam’
Today it means
verb To wander or travel freely and with no specific destination.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *raimōną / roam