English
ruffle
Ruffle comes from Middle English ruffelen.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ruffelen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606ruffle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ruffelen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606ruffle
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “The night comes on, and the bleak winds /…”
Linked words
through Middle English ruffelen
Today it means
noun Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English ruffelen / ruffle