English
rue
Rue comes from Middle English rewen ‘to experience shame, remorse or regret’, from Old English hrēowan ‘to rue’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hrewwaną‘to cause regret, to rue’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hreuwan‘to cause pain, regret’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hrēowan‘to rue’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rewen‘to experience shame, remorse or regret’
- Englishearliest quotation 1614–1615rue
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hrewwaną‘to cause regret, to rue’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hreuwan‘to cause pain, regret’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hrēowan‘to rue’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rewen‘to experience shame, remorse or regret’
- Englishearliest quotation 1614–1615rue
Earliest quotation: 1614–1615, Homer, (please specify the book number): “I wept to see, and rued it from my…”
The story
From Middle English rewen, ruwen, ruen, reowen, from Old English hrēowan (‘to rue; make sorry; grieve’), perhaps influenced by Old Norse hryggja (‘to distress, grieve’), from Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną (‘to sadden; repent’).
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną ‘to cause regret, to rue’
through Proto-West Germanic *hreuwan ‘to cause pain, regret’
Another origin of rue
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥυτήrhutḗ
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErūta
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400ruwe
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rue
- Englishtodaysame form
Today it means
verb To repent of or regret (some past action or event); to wish that a past action or event had not taken place.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną / rue