Etymologically
Log in

roguery

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the English word roguery

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1592 T. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origins
English rogueOld French -erie
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English rogue
English roguery
From the same root
English roguish ← rogue

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈrəʊɡ(ə)ri/[1]
  • US: /ˈroʊɡ(ə)ri/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English rogue + -ery.[2][3][4][5] The OED compares roguedom and rogueship.[2] The base is of unknown origin, according to the revised OED, which allows a possible link with roger;[2] Etymonline likewise calls it a word of shadowy origin, perhaps a shortening of the thieves' slang roger, which may in turn come from Latin rogō (“to ask”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A rascally act or misdeed: 1592, in T. Nashe's Pierce Penilesse.[2][6] Etymonline dates the word to the 1590s.[3]

Semantic evolution

Nashe has rascally conduct in 1594, and the OED notes that it could then also mean the condition of being a tramp;[2] Johnson (1755) lists "the life of a vagabond" first, with a quotation from Donne, and "knavish tricks" second.[5] A lighter sense, playful mischief, is recorded from 1611, in Cotgrave's dictionary,[2] and it is Johnson's third sense, "waggery; arch tricks".[5] Three rare extensions did not last: rogues as a class (1707–1899), weeds among a crop (1763) and a training ground for rogues (1822, in Galt).[2] In dialect, the word meant mischief or injury in Cheshire and, in Somerset, the red valerian.[7]

Timeline

  • 1592 – a rascally act, a misdeed.[2][6]
  • 1594 – rascally conduct; formerly also vagrancy.[2]
  • 1611 – playful mischief.[2]
  • 1707 – rogues collectively (obsolete by 1899).[2]
  • 1763 – weeds growing among a crop (obsolete).[2]
  • 1822 – a place where people are trained to become rogues (obsolete).[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The behaviour or practices of a rogue; dishonest or rascally conduct: The inspector had seen enough roguery in the trade to doubt the invoice.[8][6][2]
  2. An act typical of a rogue; a misdeed.[8][6][2]
  3. Playful mischief, or an instance of it.[8][6][2]
  4. (obsolete, 1707–1899) Rogues as a group.[2][6]
  5. (obsolete) The life of a vagabond; vagrancy.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
  8. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Roguery.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/roguery. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·