Etymology

ruin

R1U1I1N1

Today it means: The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle. Full definition →

Middle English ruyne ← Old French ruine ← Latin ruīna
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromruīna“overthrow, ruin”
  2. Old French · derived fromruine
  3. Middle English · derived fromruyne
  4. English todayruin

From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.