rote

rote · noun, adjective, verb¹

1. Middle English · inherited fromrote“custom, habit, wont, condition, state”
2. English todayrote

From Middle English rote (“custom, habit, wont, condition, state”), further origin unknown. Found in the Middle English phrase bi rote (“by heart, according to form, expertly”), c. 1300. Some have proposed a relationship either with Old French rote/rute (“route”), or Latin rota (“wheel”) (see rotary), but the OED calls both suggestions groundless. Another explanation might be the metaphorical comparison between anything repetitive and playing the rote.

rote · noun²

1. Old Norse · derived fromrót n“tossing, pitching (of sea)”
2. English todayrote

From Old Norse rót n (“tossing, pitching (of sea)”), perhaps related to rauta (“to roar”); see hrjóta. Compare Middle English routen (“to roar, bellow, storm, rage, howl”).

rote · noun³

1. Old French · derived fromrote
2. Middle English · derived fromrote
3. English todayrote

From Middle English rote, from Old French rote, probably of German origin; compare Middle High German rotte, and English crowd (“a kind of violin”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from c. 1600 The roar of the surf; the sound of waves breaking on the shore.