rail English · revision 5375

+ Rail, a bar, rail, a bird, and rail, to complain, are three different words from French.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /reɪl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|bar}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1294|origins=la rēgula}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The bar is [[inh|enm|raile|alt=reyle, raile]], [[bor|fro|reille|alt=raille, reille|t=bolt, bar]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from Vulgar Latin *regla, from [[la|rēgula|t=straight stick, rule]], a diminutive related to [[m|la|regere|t=to straighten, guide]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[rule]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The railing of a ship: 1294–95 in Barnhart, and a bar fixed horizontally between supports about 1300.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A rail forming part of a fence gave ''railings'' (1432–40) and the rails of a racecourse.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Barnhart 1988) The first rails that vehicles ran on, pulled by horses, were of wood and date from the early 17th century.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Railroad'' (1757) and ''railway'' (1776) first meant a track for heavy wagons, and a track for locomotive trains from 1825 and 1832.^(Barnhart 1988) An iron or steel bar for train wheels is from the 1830s.^(Etymonline) Used figuratively for thinness, as in ''thin as a rail'', it is from 1872.^(Etymonline) ''Off the rails'', out of the normal condition, is from 1848.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) The verb, to fence with rails, is from about 1385, in Chaucer.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1294–95 – a ship's railing.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – a horizontal bar.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1757 – ''railroad''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1830s – a railway rail.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1848 – ''off the rails''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A horizontal bar fixed on posts as a fence, barrier or support.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A bar fixed to a wall for hanging things on.^(Collins 2023)

+ # One of the pair of steel bars forming a [[railway]] track.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The railway as a means of transport: ''by rail''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To enclose or provide with rails.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ {{homograph|2|bird}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1450|origins=fro raale}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The bird is [[inh|enm|rale]], [[bor|fro|raale]], related to French râler “to rattle”, of unknown origin, perhaps imitative of the bird's cry.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A small wading bird: before 1450 in Barnhart, the mid-15th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The name covers the birds of the family Rallidae, including the coot, corncrake and water rail.^(SOED 2002)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1450 – the bird.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A small marsh bird with short wings and a harsh cry, of the family that includes the [[coot]] and [[corncrake]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ {{homograph|3|complain}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1470|origins=la-lat ragere}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ To complain is [[inh|enm|railen]], [[bor|frm|railler|t=to tease, joke]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) perhaps from Old Provençal ralhar “to chat, joke”, from Vulgar Latin *ragulāre “to bray”, from [[la-lat|ragere|t=to roar]], probably imitative.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) SOED traces it to a crossing of Latin rugīre “to bellow” with the source of [[bray]].^(SOED 2002) It is related to [[rally]] “to tease”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To use violent language, complain bitterly: before 1470 in Barnhart, the late 15th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is usually followed by ''against'' or ''at''.^(SOED 2002)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1470 – to complain bitterly.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To complain angrily or bitterly about something: ''rail against injustice''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ralline]]

+ * [[railing]]

+ * [[railway]]

+ * [[railroad]]

+ * [[rule]]

+ * [[rally]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ An Old English hrægl “garment, cloak”, surviving as ''night-rail'', a dressing gown, is a fourth, unrelated word.^(OED 1989)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}