rock English · revision 2619

+ English has two main words spelled ''rock'': the mass of stone, from Old North French, and the verb “to sway”, from Old English, which also gave the music.^(AHD 2000)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /rɒk/, US /rɑːk/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|stone}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1250|origins=la-vul *rocca}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The stone is [[inh|enm|rokke]], also roc and roche,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) found in Old English rocc, as in stānrocc “stone rock, obelisk”, and partly developed from it,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) but more directly [[bor|fro|roque]], Old North French, a variant of Old French roche,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000)^(SOED 2002) from Vulgar Latin [[m|la-vul|*rocca]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) Klein suggests a Celtic source, comparing Breton roch,^(Klein 1966)^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster calls it probably non-Indo-European,^(MWU 2024) and Word Origins notes that the classical Latin word was petra, the source of [[petrify]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A cliff, an outcrop of rock: about 1250, and in the surname Stanrok in 1241.^(Barnhart 1988) The OED's first quotation for a large rugged mass of stone forming a cliff or crag is from the 14th century.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Figurative senses from the Bible are from 1526: a source of danger, as of shipwreck, and something that gives a sure foundation or shelter.^(OED 1989) A detached stone of any size is a rock, originally in the United States, from 1709.^(OED 1989) ''On the rocks'', “destitute”, is from the 18th century,^(OED 1989) and as a drink “on ice” is American, first recorded in 1946.^(Cresswell 2021) The slang ''rock'' for a precious stone is from the late 19th century.^(Cresswell 2021) In Canada a curling stone is a rock, from 1911.^(OED 1989) People have been caught ''between a rock and a hard place'' since the 1920s, first in Arizona and California.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1241 – in the surname Stanrok.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1250 – a cliff, outcrop.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1526 – a danger; a sure foundation.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1709 – a stone of any size.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 19th century – a precious stone.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1920s – ''between a rock and a hard place''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1946 – ''on the rocks'', on ice.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The hard mineral matter of the earth's crust; [[stone]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A large mass of stone forming a cliff or outcrop.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # ''(chiefly US)'' A stone of any size.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A person or thing that is firm and dependable.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # ''(British)'' A hard stick of sweet: ''a stick of rock''.^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(slang)'' A diamond or other gem.^(AHD)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rocky]]

+ * [[rockery]]

+ * [[bedrock]]

+ * [[rock salt]]

+ * [[rock bottom]]

+ * [[rock garden]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|sway; music}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1100|origins=ang roccian}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is [[inh|enm|rokken]], [[inh|ang|roccian|t=to move a child gently to and fro]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) probably from a Germanic base meaning “to move, remove”,^(SOED 2002)^(COED 2004)^(Hoad 1986) represented also by Middle Dutch [[m|dum|rucken|t=to sway]], Old High German [[m|goh|rucchan|t=to cause to move]], German [[m|de|rücken|t=to move, push]] and Old Norse [[m|non|rykkja|t=to pull, tug]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) Barnhart calls this base of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1988) The noun is from the verb.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Late Old English roccian: before 1100.^(Barnhart 1988) Middle English rocken, of rocking a cradle, is probably before 1200, in the ''Ancrene Riwle''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The intransitive sense “to sway back and forth unstably” is from the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) The noun, a rocking movement, is from 1823.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) In blues slang ''rock'' meant “to cause to move with musical rhythm” by 1922, often with sexual overtones,^(Etymonline) and a musical rhythm with a strong beat is first recorded in 1946.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The verb “to dance to popular music with a strong beat” is from 1948.^(Etymonline) ''Rock and roll'' is from 1954,^(Barnhart 1988) usually ''rock'n'roll'' from 1955, and shortened to ''rock'' by 1957.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Rock star'' is by 1956.^(Etymonline) ''Rocker'' was one who rocks a cradle before 1325.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1100 – to rock a child.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 14th century – to sway unstably.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1823 – noun, a rocking movement.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1922 – blues slang, to move with rhythm.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1946 – a strong musical beat.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1954 – ''rock and roll''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1957 – ''rock'', the music.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To move gently back and forth or from side to side.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # To shake or disturb violently: ''rocked by scandal''.^(AHD)

+ # To play or dance to rock music.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A rocking movement.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # [[rock and roll|alt=Rock and roll]], or popular music developed from it.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rocker]]

+ * [[rocking chair]]

+ * [[rocking horse]]

+ * [[rock and roll]]

+ * [[punk rock]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[rococo]]

+ * [[petrify]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ An archaic ''rock'', “a distaff”, is from Middle Dutch rocke or Old Norse rokkr, from about 1310.^(SOED 2002)^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}