Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *raubōn
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Inherited
- Inherited from
- Proto-Germanic *raubōną
- Ultimate origin
- Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp-
Etymology tree
From the same root
Reconstruction
Wiktionary reconstructs the infinitive *raubōn.[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *raubōną (“to rob”),[2][1] which Köbler cites as *raubōn.[2] Gamillscheg also writes West Germanic *raubōn.[3]
Morphology
A weak verb of class II.[4][5] EWA takes it for a verb formed from a noun, the Old High German roub;[5] Kroonen reconstructs that noun as Proto-Germanic *rauba- "loot", derived from the strong verb *reufan- "to break, to tear".[6]
Evidence
The verb is attested as Old English rēafian,[7] Old Frisian rāvia,[8] Old Saxon rōvon in the Heliand,[4] and Old High German roubōn, recorded from the second quarter of the 9th century.[5] EWA has early Middle Dutch roven from 1240.[5] The verb Old Norse raufa means "to break a hole", and EWA holds that its sense "to rob" was taken over from Middle Low German.[5] Gamillscheg derives Old French rober (“to rob, to plunder”) from West Germanic *raubōn.[3] From the Old French verb he derives the 12th-century noun robe (“plunder, booty”).[3]
Meanings
Old Frisian also used the verb for "to distrain",[8] Old English for "to lay waste" and "to carry off",[7] and Old High German for "to lay waste" and "to violate".[5]
Derivatives
- Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Germanic *biraubōną (“to bereave, to take away”);[9] EWA lists the prefixed verb as Old English berēafian, Old Frisian birāvia, Old Saxon birōvon and Old High German biroubōn.[5]
Reflexes
- Old English: rēafian (“to rob, to plunder, to lay waste, to carry off”)[7]
- Old Frisian: rāvia (“to rob, to distrain”)[8]
- Old Saxon: rōvon (“to rob”)[4]
- Old High German: roubōn (“to rob, to plunder, to lay waste”)[5]
References
- ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *raubōn
- ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *raubōn
- ^ a b c Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 820
- ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rôvon*
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. roubôn
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 406
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. réafian 1
- ^ a b c Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rāvia
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *biraubōną
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“*raubōn.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*raub%C5%8Dn. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.
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