*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of row

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *Hreyk- Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Indo-European *Hréykō Proto-Germanic *rīgǭder. Proto-Germanic *raigwō Proto-Germanic *raiwō Proto-West Germanic *raiwu Old English rǣw Middle Engli

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A line of objects, often regularly spaced, such as seats in a theatre, vegetable plants in a garden, etc. · Specifically, a line of buildings on a street; also, the street itself (especially in street names) · A horizontal line of entries in a table, etc., going from left to right, as opposed to a column going from top to bottom. · Clipping of cornrow.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *Hreyk- Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Indo-European *Hréykō Proto-Germanic *rīgǭder. Proto-Germanic *raigwō Proto-Germanic *raiwō Proto-West Germanic *raiwu Old English rǣw Middle English rewe English row From Middle English rewe, rowe, rawe, from Old English rǣw, rāw, probably from Proto-Germanic *raiwō, *raigwō, *rīgǭ (“row, streak, line”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hreyk- (“to carve, scratch, etch”). Cognate with Scots raw (“row”), dialectal Norwegian rå (“boundary line”), Saterland Frisian Riege (“row”), West Frisian rige (“row”), Dutch rij (“row, line”), German Low German Reeg, Riege, Rieg (“row”), German Reihe (“row”), German Riege (“sports team”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionreweenm
  • Inherited-form mentionrǣwang
  • Derivation mention*raiwōgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*Hreyk-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentionrawsco · row
  • Cognate mentionråno · boundary line
  • Cognate mentionRiegestq · row
  • Cognate mentionrigefy · row
  • Cognate mentionrijnl · row, line
  • Cognate mentionReihede · row
  • Cognate mentionRiegede · sports team
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:rewe<id:row>",
        "id": "line",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *Hreyk-\nProto-Indo-European *-ō\nProto-Indo-European *Hréykō\nProto-Germanic *rīgǭder.\nProto-Germanic *raigwō\nProto-Germanic *raiwō\nProto-West Germanic *raiwu\nOld English rǣw\nMiddle English rewe\nEnglish row\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*Hreyk-\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*Hréykō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*rīgǭ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*raigwō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*raiwō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*raiwu\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"rǣw\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"rewe\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"row\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"line\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"row\" id=\"English:_line\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rewe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rewe"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "rǣw"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rǣw"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*raiwō"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *raiwō"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*Hreyk-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to carve, scratch, etch"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *Hreyk- (“to carve, scratch, etch”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "raw",
        "t": "row"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots raw (“row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "rå",
        "t": "boundary line"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian rå (“boundary line”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "Riege",
        "t": "row"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian Riege (“row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "rige",
        "t": "row"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian rige (“row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "rij",
        "t": "row, line"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch rij (“row, line”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "Reeg"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German Reeg"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Reihe",
        "t": "row"
      },
      "expansion": "German Reihe (“row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Riege",
        "t": "sports team"
      },
      "expansion": "German Riege (“sports team”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:rewe<id:row>",
        "id": "line",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *Hreyk-\nProto-Indo-European *-ō\nProto-Indo-European *Hréykō\nProto-Germanic *rīgǭder.\nProto-Germanic *raigwō\nProto-Germanic *raiwō\nProto-West Germanic *raiwu\nOld English rǣw\nMiddle English rewe\nEnglish row"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*Hreyk-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hreyk-"
    ],
    [
      "*-ō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ō"
    ],
    [
      "*Hréykō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hréykō"
    ],
    [
      "*rīgǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rīgǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*raigwō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raigwō"
    ],
    [
      "*raiwō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raiwō"
    ],
    [
      "*raiwu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/raiwu"
    ],
    [
      "rǣw",
      "ræw#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "rewe",
      "rewe#Middle_English:_row"
    ],
    [
      "rewe",
      "rewe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rowe",
      "rowe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rawe",
      "rawe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rǣw",
      "ræw#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "rāw",
      "raw#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*raiwō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raiwō"
    ],
    [
      "*raigwō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raigwō"
    ],
    [
      "*rīgǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rīgǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*Hreyk-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hreyk-"
    ],
    [
      "raw",
      "raw#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "rå",
      "rå#Norwegian"
    ],
    [
      "Riege",
      "Riege#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "rige",
      "rige#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "rij",
      "rij#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Reeg",
      "Reeg#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Riege",
      "Riege#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Rieg",
      "Rieg#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Reihe",
      "Reihe#German"
    ],
    [
      "Riege",
      "Riege#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A line of objects, often regularly spaced, such as seats in a theatre, vegetable plants in a garden, etc.",
        "Specifically, a line of buildings on a street; also, the street itself (especially in street names)",
        "A horizontal line of entries in a table, etc., going from left to right, as opposed to a column going from top to bottom.",
        "Clipping of cornrow."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "in-plural",
        "slang"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

An act or instance of rowing. · Any of several thematically similar exercise movements performed with a pulling motion of the arms towards the back.

verb

To propel (a boat or other craft) over water using oars. · To transport in a boat propelled with oars. · To be moved by oars.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English rowen (“to row”), from Old English rōwan (“to row”), from Proto-Germanic *rōaną (“to row”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“to row”). Compare West Frisian roeie, Dutch roeien, Danish ro. More at rudder. Related to Russia.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁reh₁-",
        "id": "row"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rowen",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to row"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rowen (“to row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "rōwan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to row"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rōwan (“to row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*rōaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to row"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *rōaną (“to row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁reh₁-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to row"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“to row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "roeie"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian roeie"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "roeien"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch roeien"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "ro"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish ro"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rowen",
      "rowen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rōwan",
      "rowan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*rōaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rōaną"
    ],
    [
      "*h₁reh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁reh₁-"
    ],
    [
      "roeie",
      "roeie#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "roeien",
      "roeien#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "ro",
      "ro#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "rudder",
      "rudder"
    ],
    [
      "Russia",
      "Russia#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An act or instance of rowing.",
        "Any of several thematically similar exercise movements performed with a pulling motion of the arms towards the back."
      ],
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      "pos": "verb",
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        "To propel (a boat or other craft) over water using oars.",
        "To transport in a boat propelled with oars.",
        "To be moved by oars."
      ],
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        "intransitive",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To argue noisily.

noun

A noisy argument. · A continual loud noise.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unclear; some suggest it is a back-formation from rouse, verb.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bf",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "rouse",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rouse",
      "rouse#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To argue noisily."
      ],
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        "intransitive"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for row →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cm93