Etymology

roleplaying

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Today it means: Action in which a person takes on a role (as that of an actor) and acts out being that character. Full definition →

English roleplay ← Middle English pleye ← Old English plega
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roleplaying · noun1

From role + playing.

roleplaying · verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*Hreth₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*Hróth₂eh₂
  3. Proto-Italic*rotā
  4. Latinrota
  5. Medieval Latinrollu
  6. Old Frenchrole
  7. Middle Frenchrolle
  8. Frenchrôle
  9. Englishrole
  10. Proto-West Germanic*plehan
  11. Old Englishpleġan
  12. Proto-West Germanic*plegō
  13. Proto-West Germanic*plegōn
  14. Old Englishplegian
  15. Middle Englishpleyen
  16. Proto-West Germanic*plegō
  17. Old Englishplega
  18. Middle Englishpleye
  19. Englishplay
  20. Englishroleplay
  21. English todayroleplaying

From roleplay + -ing.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.