Etymograph

English

rudder

Rudder comes from Old English rōþor ‘oar, rudder’, from Proto-Germanic *rōaną ‘to row’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁reh₁-‘to row’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁roh₁-(ye-)-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rōaną‘to row’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rōþrą‘oar, rudder’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rōþrreconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150rōþor‘oar, rudder’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rodder
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1663rudder

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁reh₁-‘to row’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁roh₁-(ye-)-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rōaną‘to row’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rōþrą‘oar, rudder’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rōþrreconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150rōþor‘oar, rudder’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rodder
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1663rudder

Earliest quotation: 1663, Samuel Butler, Hudibras: “For rhyme the rudder is of verses,/With which, like…”

Linked words

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

rest, rare, roo, ramshackle, ransack, 5 more

through Proto-Germanic *rōaną ‘to row’

row, 4 more

through Old English rōþor ‘oar, rudder’

rother, 3 more

Today it means

noun An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- / rudder

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