roer

roer¹ rudder

Etymology tree of roer¹

inherited borrowed derived

Proto-West Germanic *rōþr

Dutch roer

Pronunciation

• /rur/, [ruːr]^[1]

Forms

roer n (plural roeren, diminutive roertje n)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the rudder is inherited from Middle Dutch roeder, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rōþr, inherited from Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (“oar, rudder”).^[2][1] It was formed from the root of roeien, *rōaną (“to row”), with the suffix Proto-Indo-European *-tro- that makes names of tools.^[2][3][4][1] The same word is Middle Low German rōder, Old High German ruodar (modern German Ruder “rudder, oar”), Old Frisian rōther (modern West Frisian roer) and Old English rōðor (modern English rudder).^[2][3][4]

The WNT and the MNW note that it first meant “oar”, since in early times an oar was used as a loose rudder, and the German word still means both.^[4][5] The modern form arose from ⟨roeder⟩ by the loss of the /d/ between vowels.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Old Dutch the word is found only in the compound helmroder, a rudder moved by a tiller, recorded in 1185–1190.^[2] Around 1240 a Limburg glossary renders Latin gubernaculum and aplustre with rodre, and a West Flemish text of 1285 speaks of hangelesse ten roedere, the hinges for the rudder.^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

The rudder soon became a figure for a guide: in 1285 two brothers are said to be sonder roedre, without a rudder, and in 1290 Mary is called haven, anchor and rudder.^[6] The contracted roer appears beside royere at the end of the 14th century, and in 1437 a steersman turns dat roer; a dictionary of 1573 still gives roer oft roeder.^[2][5]

Sailors' phrases passed into the general language.^[4] Te roer gaan or te roer staan was to take the helm (1596), and aan het roer komen came to mean “to come to power” (1632).^[4] Winschoten's sailors' dictionary of 1681 explains aan het roer staan and het roer houden as “to hold power” and het roer omwerpen as “to turn quickly”.^[7][4] Today het roer omgooien is to change course radically, and het roer in handen hebben is to be in charge.^[4][8]

Through Dutch or Low German the word reached Danish and Norwegian ror, Swedish roder and, through Swedish, Finnish ruori;^[9][1] Russian руль (rulʹ) comes from Dutch and passed on to Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Belarusian.^[9][1]

Timeline

• 1185–1190 – Old Dutch helmroder, a rudder moved by a tiller, is recorded.^[2]
• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch rodre glosses Latin gubernaculum in Limburg.^[6][2][10]
• 1285 – Roeder in a West Flemish text, both for a ship's rudder and, figuratively, for a guide.^[2][6]
• 1384–1395 – The contracted form roer is recorded beside royere.^[2]
• 1573 – A dictionary gives dat roer oft roeder int schip.^[2]
• 1596 – Te roer gaen, to take the helm.^[4]
• 1632 – Te roer komen in the sense “to come to power”.^[4]
• 1681 – Winschoten lists het roer omwerpen among sailors' phrases.^[7][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. rudder: the movable blade that steers a ship or an aircraft; also the helm or wheel that works it.^[8][1][11] De schipper stond zelf aan het roer.^[8][1][11]
2. (figuratively) Control, leadership: het roer, the helm.^[1][8][4] Na de verkiezingen nam een nieuwe coalitie het roer over.^[1][8][4]

Word family

• roerganger
• roerpen
• roerwiel
• zijroer
• roerkoning

roer² gun

Pronunciation

• /rur/, [ruːr]^[1]

Forms

roer n (plural roeren, diminutive roertje n)^[1] In the 16th and 17th centuries the plural was often roers.^[4]

Etymology

The word for the gun is inherited from Middle Dutch roer (“reed”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *rauzą (“reed”).^[2][1][12] It first meant “reed”, then a reed tube or reed arrow, and after hand firearms came in it was applied to the gun, after its long barrel.^[2][4] The same word is Middle Low German rōr, Old High German rōr (modern German Rohr), Old Frisian rēr, Old Norse reyrr and Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌿𐍃 (raus), all “reed”.^[2][12][3]

The Dutch vowel ⟨oe⟩ has not been explained: ⟨oo⟩ would be expected.^[2][4][1] W. de Vries thought of the influence of roeren “to move”, which De Vries finds very doubtful; he prefers to see an Ingvaeonic form.^[3][13][14] Without the Germanic change of /s/ to /z/, a by-form *rausa- gave Old Dutch rōs (“reed”), recorded in the 8th century, and the first part of Middle Dutch roesdommel, now roerdomp.^[2]

The further origin is unclear.^[2][3] The EWN thinks it probably a substrate word, related to rus “rush”, while Bjorvand and Lindeman connect it with *reufan, Old Norse rjúfa (“to tear, make holes in”).^[2] The Germanic word was borrowed into Old French ros, whence French roseau (“reed”);^[2][3] De Vries takes it from West Gothic, while the EWN thinks the Old Dutch of the West Frankish realm more likely, given the many northern French place names with ⟨Ros-⟩ such as Roubaix.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch roer “reed” is recorded in 1426, in Gecoft 5 vymmen roers, “bought five stacks of reed”.^[2] The sense “gun” follows in 1450, with 2 roeren, “two guns”.^[2][10][11]

Semantic evolution

Kiliaan still glosses roer as reed, pipe and tube as well as a firearm, and the sense “reed” lived on in the dialects of Gelderland and Overijssel.^[4] In the general language the tube survives in the roer of a tobacco pipe, the stem (1839).^[4][8]

As a weapon, roer named the old firearm fired first with a match and later with a flintlock: a text of 1556 lists Roers ofte Handt-bussen, and hunters in 1598 went after a bear with muskets, roers, halberds and axes.^[4] A short roer was a pistol (1614), and long, double-barrelled and hunting guns had their own names; the roer gradually displaced the musket, and was itself replaced by the modern geweer.^[4]

The word went with Dutch speakers overseas: Afrikaans has roer, from which English took roer, and Negerhollands had roer “gun, cannon”.^[9][1]

Timeline

• 1426 – Middle Dutch roer “reed” is first recorded.^[2]
• 1450 – Roer “gun” is first recorded.^[2][10]
• 1556 – Roers ofte Handt-bussen, “guns or hand-guns”.^[4]
• 1567 – Langhe Roeren, long guns.^[4]
• 1598 – Hunters go after a bear with Musquetten, Roers, Hellebaerden ende Bijlen.^[4]
• 1614 – Cleene Roerkens, ofte Pistoletten, small guns or pistols.^[4]
• 1839 – Roeren of tobacco pipes.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (historical) A light musket, matchlock or flintlock gun.^[1][4]
2. The stem of a tobacco pipe.^[8][4] Het roer van zijn pijp was afgebroken.^[8][4]

Word family

• vuurroer
• lontroer
• roerdrager