rut

Forms

rut m (plural ruts)^[1] Old French ruit, used until the 16th century;^[2][3][4] rut is the form of the western dialects.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French ruit, inherited from Late Latin rugītus (“roaring”), from Latin rugiō (“to roar”), which also gave rugir.^[5][6][2][3] The Latin noun was used especially for the bellowing of the stag seeking a hind.^[5][2][3] For the change of vowel in the modern form, the TLFi and Bloch and Wartburg compare futé.^[5][3]

The French sense is shared by Friulian rût, also arût, alone, while Spanish ruido means noise.^[5][3][2] The French word is a doublet of rugi, the past participle of the verb.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1160 as ruit in the Roman d'Énéas, meaning sexual desire.^[5][4]

Semantic evolution

From Wace's Roman de Rou (1160–1174) the word, in tens du ruit, was used of mammals that mate at fixed seasons, the sense that has lasted.^[5][4] Old and Middle French also used it for noise and tumult (about 1245), keeping the Latin sense.^[5][3][2] The form rut is found at the end of the 14th century.^[5] Figuratively it means agitation or ferment (Goncourt, 1857), and familiarly the sexual excitement of people, mainly in en rut.^[5][2]

English borrowed the word from Old French in the early 15th century.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – Ruit “desire to mate” appears in the Roman d'Énéas.^[5]
• 1160–1174 – Wace uses tens du ruit of animals.^[5]
• c. 1245 – Philippe Mousket uses it for noise and tumult.^[5]
• late 14th century – The form rut is found in the Livre du bon Jehan.^[5][8]
• early 15th century – English borrows the word.^[7]
• 1857 – The Goncourts use it figuratively.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The period of sexual activity of some mammals, and the state of the animals during it: être en rut.^[9][5]
2. (figurative) Excitement, ferment.^[5][4]

Related words

• rugir
• Latin rugītus
• English rut

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 10, 550a
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert