round

round · adjective, noun, preposition, adverb, verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromrotundus
2. Late Latin · derived fromretundus
3. Old French · derived fromront
4. Old Northern French · derived fromroünt
5. Middle English · inherited fromround
6. English todayround

From Middle English round, rounde, from Old Northern French roünt, rund, Old French ront, runt, reont ( > French rond), from both Late Latin retundus and the original Latin rotundus. The noun developed partly from the adjective and partly from the corresponding French noun rond. Doublet of rotund.

round · verb, noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(e)rewə-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*rūnōną“to talk secrets, whisper, decide”
3. Old English · inherited fromrūnian“to whisper, talk low, talk secrets, consipre, talk secretly”
4. Middle English · inherited fromrounen
5. English todayround

From Middle English rounen, from Old English rūnian (“to whisper, talk low, talk secrets, consipre, talk secretly”), from Proto-Germanic *rūnōną (“to talk secrets, whisper, decide”), *raunijaną (“to investigate, examine, prove”), from Proto-Indo-European *(e)rewə-, *(e)rwō- (“to trace, find out, look out”). Cognate with Scots roun (“to converse with in whispers, speak privately”), Middle Low German rūnen (“to whisper”), Middle Dutch ruinen (“to whisper”), German raunen (“to whisper, murmur”), Old English rūn (“whisper, secret, mystery”), Swedish röna (“to meet with, experience”). More at rune.

Words from the same roots