English
robber
Robber comes from Middle English robbour ‘a robber or burglar’.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500robbour‘a robber or burglar’
- Englishearliest quotation 1907robber
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500robbour‘a robber or burglar’
- Englishearliest quotation 1907robber
Earliest quotation: 1907, Frederick William D'Evelyn, Slaughter of Blue Jays: “I remember as a boy in my native land…”
Formed from rob + -er
Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- ‘to snatch’
…
Frankish *raubōn
Late Latin raubō
Anglo-Norman rober
Middle English robben ‘to steal, rob’
English rob
The story
And compare rover (‘a pirate’), another word of the same composition.
Linked words
through Frankish *raubōn
Today it means
noun A person who robs.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English robbour / robber