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ribald

Etymology and origin of the English word ribald

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɹɪb.əld/, /ˈɹaɪ.bɔld/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English ribaud “rascal”,[2][3][4][5] from Old French ribaut (“rogue, scoundrel”),[2][3][4][5][6] from riber “to be wanton”,[2][3][4][5][6] which is of Germanic origin,[2][3][4][5] related to Old High German rīban “to be wanton”, literally “to rub”.[3][4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a noun, a rascal or scoundrel (before 1250).[3][4][7]

Semantic evolution

In medieval France and England ribalds were a class of retainers who did the lowest work in royal households.[7] The noun came to mean a dissolute person (1340)[7] and from about 1380 one who uses offensive, irreverent language.[7][4] The adjective followed about 1500,[3][4][7][5] and the word now usually describes coarse, lewd humour.[2][5][1]

Timeline

  • before 1250 – a rascal.[3][4]
  • 1301 – a base fellow.[7]
  • before 1325 – ribaldry.[3]
  • about 1380 – one who jests irreverently.[7][4]
  • 1508 – adjective, of speech or writing.[7][5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Coarsely or lewdly humorous; bawdy or vulgar.

Noun

  1. A person who uses vulgar, lewd humour.

Word family

  • ribaldly
  • ribaldry

Usage notes

Random House gives indecent, obscene and gross as synonyms, and pure as an antonym.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Ribald.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/ribald. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·