Etymologically
Log in

ruo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 01:26. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈru.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈruː.o][1]

Forms

ruō (present infinitive ruere, perfect active ruī, supine rutum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *rowe/o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reu-e/o- (“to run, hurry”).[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek ὀρούω (oroúō, “to hurry”), Middle Irish rúathar (“assault”) and Czech ruch (“movement”).[2][3] De Vaan notes that its derivatives have mixed with those of a verb meaning “to dig out”, from *(H)reuH-.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was to rush, of people and vehicles, to hasten into an action, to rush headlong, and to blunder blindly into trouble.[3][5] It was to rush upon an enemy, and of buildings to tumble down or collapse, and figuratively of people and states to be ruined.[3][1] Transitively it was to cast down, and, from the second verb, to churn up or dig out.[1][2]

Its noun ruīna “collapse” gave English ruin.[6] It survives as French ruer.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses ruīna.[2][4]
  • late Old English – English ruin “collapse” is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To rush, hurry, hasten.[3][1]
  2. To rush headlong; to rush blindly (into disaster).[3]
  3. To rush (upon), attack.[3]
  4. To collapse, fall down; to be ruined.[3][1]
  5. To cast down; to dig up, churn up.[1][2]

Word family

  • adruo
  • corruō
  • dēruō
  • dīruō
  • ēruō
  • irruō
  • obruō
  • prōruō
  • ruidus
  • ruīna
  • rūta
  • rutrum
  • English ruin

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com