rocky

rocky · adjective¹

1. Celtic · derived from
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromroca
3. Old French · derived fromroce
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromroc
5. Old English · inherited from*rocc“rock”
6. Middle English · inherited fromrokki
7. English todayrocky

From Middle English rokki, rokky (“rocky”), from rok, rokke (“rock; a rock or stone; large rock by a coast or in the sea; rocky outcrop on a mountain, cliff; castle, citadel, stronghold”) [and other forms] + -i (suffix forming adjectives). Rok, rokke are derived from: * Old English *rocc (“rock”); and * Anglo-Norman roc, roce, roque, and Old French roce, roke, roque, variants of roche (“rock”); both from Medieval Latin roca, rocca; further etymology uncertain, possibly of Celtic origin. The English word is analysable as rock + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’).

rocky · adjective²

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*h₃rewk-“to dig; to till (soil)”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*rukkōną“to move; to move back and forth, rock”
3. Old English · inherited fromroccian“to rock”
4. Middle English · inherited fromrokken“to move (something, such as a cradle) back and forth; to move or sway back and forth in an unstable manner; to go”
5. English todayrocky

From rock (“to move back and forth”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’). Rock is derived from Middle English rokken (“to move (something, such as a cradle) back and forth; to move or sway back and forth in an unstable manner; to go”) […], from Old English roccian (“to rock”), from Proto-Germanic *rukkōną (“to move; to move back and forth, rock”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rewk- (“to dig; to till (soil)”).

rocky · adjective³

From rock (“rock and roll music”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’).

Rocky · proper noun⁴

Diminutives with -y.

Words from the same roots