rape

Meanings

Noun

Verb

Adverb

Related

Similar words

Origin

  • From Middle English rapen, rappen, probably from Latin rapere (verb), possibly through or influenced by Anglo-Norman rap, rape (noun) (compare also ravish). But compare Swedish rappa ("to snatch, seize, carry off"), Low German rapen ("to snatch, seize"), Dutch rapen ("to pick up, gather, collect"); the relationship with Germanic forms is not clear. Cognate with Lithuanian reikėti ("to be in need"). Compare also rap.
  • Generally considered to derive from Old English rāp ("rope"), in reference to the ropes used to delineate the courts that ruled each rape. Compare Dutch reep and the parish of Rope, Cheshire.
  • In the 18th century, Edward Lye proposed derivation from Old Norse hreppr ("tract of land"), but this was rejected by the New English Dictionary and is considered "phonologically impossible" by the English Place-Name Society.
  • See Wikipedia for more.
  • From Middle English rapen, from Old Norse hrapa ("to fall, rush headlong, hurry, hasten"), from Proto-Germanic *hrapaną ("to fall down"). Cognate with Norwegian rapa ("to slip, fall"), Danish rappe ("to make haste"), German rappeln ("to hasten, hurry").
  • From Latin rapa, from rāpum.
  • From Middle English rape, from rape, from Old French raper, rasper, from Old Frankish *raspon ("to scratch"), related to Old High German raspōn ("to scrape"), Old English ġehrespan ("to strip, spoil").

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