rank English · revision 5295
16 Oct 2026, 02:10 by bogdan “en10k b0193: enforcement … tag (spoken skipped)” current version
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+ Rank, a position or row, and rank, coarse or foul-smelling, are different words.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ræŋk/^(Roach et al. 2011)
+
+ {{homograph|1|position}}
+
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1325|origins=frk *hring}}
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[inh|enm|ranc]], [[bor|fro|ranc]], a variant of renc, reng “row, line”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from Frankish *hring or another Germanic source,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*hringaz|t=circle, ring]].^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) It is related to [[ring]], [[range]] and [[harangue]].^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ A row, line or series: before 1325 in Barnhart, the early 14th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The OED dates it from 1570, in common use from about 1580.^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ A row of an army is from about 1400,^(Etymonline) and a social class or high status from the early 15th century (about 1430 in Barnhart).^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) A relative position, as in ''the first rank'', is from Shakespeare's Macbeth in 1605.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) One of the rows across a chessboard is by the 1570s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''Rank and file'' was used of soldiers in formation in 1598, of common soldiers from 1796, and of ordinary people from 1860.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) A row of taxis waiting for hire is from about 1843.^(OED 1989)^(NODE 1998) The verb, to arrange in lines, is from 1573,^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) to classify from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in 1592,^(Barnhart 1988) and to outrank by 1841.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * a. 1325 – a row.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * c. 1430 – social rank.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * 1573 – verb, to arrange in lines.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * 1598 – ''rank and file''.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * 1605 – a relative position.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * c. 1843 – a taxi rank.^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Noun===
+ # A position in an organization such as the army: ''the rank of captain''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # A position in a society or a scale of value.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # High social position.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # A row or line, especially of soldiers, or of taxis waiting.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # ''(plural)'' Ordinary soldiers, or the members of a group: ''the ranks''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+
+ ===Verb===
+ # To give a position in a scale to someone or something; to [[classify]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # To have a particular position in a scale.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # ''(US)'' To be higher in rank than someone.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+
+ {{homograph|2|coarse, foul}}
+
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000|origins=gem-pro *rankaz}}
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[inh|enm|rank|alt=ranc, rank]], [[inh|ang|ranc|t=proud, overbearing, showy]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[gem-pro|*rankaz]], the source also of German rank “slender” and Old Norse rakkr “straight, erect”, of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ Proud, overbearing, showy: about 1000 in Barnhart, in Old English.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ Strong or violent is from about 1250.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Of plants, growing vigorously or too thickly, it is from about 1300,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) and large and coarse also from about 1300.^(Etymonline) Corrupt or loathsome is from the mid-14th century, perhaps influenced by French rance “rancid”.^(Etymonline) Extreme, utter, as in ''rank folly'', is from 1513,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and having a strong bad smell from before 1529, in Skelton.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The OED notes that the history of its senses is far from clear.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 1000 – proud.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * c. 1300 – of plants, luxuriant.^(Etymonline)
+ * mid-14th century – foul.^(Etymonline)
+ * 1513 – utter.^(Barnhart 1988)
+ * a. 1529 – foul-smelling.^(Barnhart 1988)
+
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Having a strong, unpleasant smell or taste.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # Complete; utter: ''a rank beginner''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # Growing too thickly and coarsely.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)
+ # Offensive or [[disgusting]].^(AHD)
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[ring]]
+ * [[range]]
+ * [[harangue]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}