English
taser
Taser comes from Old French rifler ‘to scrape off, tear off, flay’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁reyp-‘to tear, tear down’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīfaną‘to tear, rend’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīfilōnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rīfilōn‘to scrape, scratch’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*rīffilōnreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400rifler‘to scrape off, tear off, flay’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500riflen
- English1500–presentrifle
- Englishtodaytaser
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁reyp-‘to tear, tear down’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīfaną‘to tear, rend’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīfilōnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rīfilōn‘to scrape, scratch’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*rīffilōnreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400rifler‘to scrape off, tear off, flay’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500riflen
- English1500–presentrifle
- Englishtodaytaser
The story
Coined in the early 1970s by the inventor Jack Cover originally as TSER, to which he later added the letter A to ease pronunciation.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- ‘to tear, tear down’
river, arrive, rope, ripe, reap, rife, riviera, riparian, 4 more
through Proto-Germanic *rīfaną ‘to tear, rend’
through Middle English riflen
Today it means
noun A Taser, a handheld device made by Taser International intended to immobilize another by delivering an electric shock.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- / taser