rother

rother · noun¹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hrunþaz
2. Old English · inherited fromhrūþer
3. Middle English · inherited fromrother
4. English todayrother

From Middle English rother, ruther, reother, from Old English hrūþer, hrȳþer, byforms of hrīþer, hrīþ (“neat; ox”), from Proto-Germanic *hrunþaz, *hrinþaz. Cognate with Dutch rund (“bovine”), German Rind (“bovine; beef”).

rother · noun²

1. Old English · inherited fromrōþor
2. Middle English · inherited fromrother
3. English todayrother

From Middle English rother, from Old English rōþor. See rudder.

Rother · proper noun³

1. Middle English · inherited fromLiminel
2. Old Welsh · derived from*duβr
3. Proto-Brythonic · derived from*ro
4. Middle English · inherited fromRoder
5. English todayRother

# For the river in South Yorkshire: Probably 'the chief river', from Middle English Roder, from Proto-Brythonic *ro + Old Welsh *duβr. # For the river in West Sussex: Back-formation from Rotherbridge. # For the river in East Sussex: Back-formation from Rotherfield. Replaced Middle English Liminel, which is cognate with River Limden.

Words from the same roots