*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of robe

From Middle English robe, roobe, from Old French robe, robbe, reube (“booty, spoils of war, robe, garment”), from Frankish *rouba, *rauba (“booty, spoils, stolen clothes”, literally “things taken”), from Proto-Germanic *

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To clothe; to dress. · To put on official vestments.

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

From Middle English robe, roobe, from Old French robe, robbe, reube (“booty, spoils of war, robe, garment”), from Frankish *rouba, *rauba (“booty, spoils, stolen clothes”, literally “things taken”), from Proto-Germanic *raubō, *raubaz, *raubą (“booty, that which is stripped or carried away”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to tear, peel”). cognates and related terms Akin to Old High German roup (“booty”) (Modern German Raub (“robbery, spoils”)), Old High German roubōn (“to rob, steal”) (Modern German rauben (“to rob”)), Old English rēaf (“spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment”), Old English rēafian (“to steal, deprive”). Cognate with Spanish ropa (“clothing, clothes”). More at rob, reaf, reave.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*Hrewp-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionrobeenm
  • Derivation mentionrobefro
  • Derivation mention*raubōgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*Hrewp-ine-pro · to tear, peel
  • Cognate mentionroupgoh · booty
  • Cognate mentionRaubde · robbery, spoils
  • Cognate mentionroubōngoh · to rob, steal
  • Cognate mentionraubende · to rob
  • Cognate mentionrēafang · spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment
  • Cognate mentionrēafianang · to steal, deprive
  • Cognate mentionropaes · clothing, clothes
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": "*Hrewp-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "robe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English robe"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "robe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French robe"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frk",
        "3": "*rouba"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *rouba"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*raubō"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *raubō"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*Hrewp-",
        "t": "to tear, peel"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to tear, peel”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cognates and related terms"
      },
      "expansion": "cognates and related terms"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "roup",
        "t": "booty"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German roup (“booty”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Raub",
        "t": "robbery, spoils"
      },
      "expansion": "German Raub (“robbery, spoils”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "roubōn",
        "t": "to rob, steal"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German roubōn (“to rob, steal”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "rauben",
        "t": "to rob"
      },
      "expansion": "German rauben (“to rob”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rēaf",
        "t": "spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rēaf (“spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rēafian",
        "t": "to steal, deprive"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rēafian (“to steal, deprive”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "es",
        "2": "ropa",
        "t": "clothing, clothes"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish ropa (“clothing, clothes”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "robe",
      "robe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "roobe",
      "roobe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "robe",
      "robe#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "robbe",
      "robbe#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "reube",
      "reube#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*rouba",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/rouba"
    ],
    [
      "*rauba",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/rauba"
    ],
    [
      "*raubō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raubō"
    ],
    [
      "*raubaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raubaz"
    ],
    [
      "*raubą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raubą"
    ],
    [
      "*Hrewp-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hrewp-"
    ],
    [
      "roup",
      "roup#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Raub",
      "Raub#German"
    ],
    [
      "roubōn",
      "roubon#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "rauben",
      "rauben#German"
    ],
    [
      "rēaf",
      "reaf#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "rēafian",
      "reafian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ropa",
      "ropa#Spanish"
    ],
    [
      "rob",
      "rob"
    ],
    [
      "reaf",
      "reaf"
    ],
    [
      "reave",
      "reave"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To clothe; to dress.",
        "To put on official vestments."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "1dd7e7d6a69d0b701fdbc3a56801a723f437512eb585f5026215fe11a295401b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "39a99f71fedd9ce8d4fd81edcd253c21c169a844b3c33605db8137a78aa545f7",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 290772
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A long loose outer garment, often signifying honorary stature. · The skin of an animal, especially the bison, dressed with the fur on, and used as a wrap. · A wardrobe, especially one built into a bedroom. · The largest and strongest tobacco leaves.

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

From Middle English robe, roobe, from Old French robe, robbe, reube (“booty, spoils of war, robe, garment”), from Frankish *rouba, *rauba (“booty, spoils, stolen clothes”, literally “things taken”), from Proto-Germanic *raubō, *raubaz, *raubą (“booty, that which is stripped or carried away”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to tear, peel”). cognates and related terms Akin to Old High German roup (“booty”) (Modern German Raub (“robbery, spoils”)), Old High German roubōn (“to rob, steal”) (Modern German rauben (“to rob”)), Old English rēaf (“spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment”), Old English rēafian (“to steal, deprive”). Cognate with Spanish ropa (“clothing, clothes”). More at rob, reaf, reave.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*Hrewp-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionrobeenm
  • Derivation mentionrobefro
  • Derivation mention*raubōgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*Hrewp-ine-pro · to tear, peel
  • Cognate mentionroupgoh · booty
  • Cognate mentionRaubde · robbery, spoils
  • Cognate mentionroubōngoh · to rob, steal
  • Cognate mentionraubende · to rob
  • Cognate mentionrēafang · spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment
  • Cognate mentionrēafianang · to steal, deprive
  • Cognate mentionropaes · clothing, clothes
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": "*Hrewp-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "robe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English robe"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "robe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French robe"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frk",
        "3": "*rouba"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *rouba"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*raubō"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *raubō"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*Hrewp-",
        "t": "to tear, peel"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to tear, peel”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cognates and related terms"
      },
      "expansion": "cognates and related terms"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "roup",
        "t": "booty"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German roup (“booty”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Raub",
        "t": "robbery, spoils"
      },
      "expansion": "German Raub (“robbery, spoils”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "roubōn",
        "t": "to rob, steal"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German roubōn (“to rob, steal”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "rauben",
        "t": "to rob"
      },
      "expansion": "German rauben (“to rob”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rēaf",
        "t": "spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rēaf (“spoils, booty, dress, armour, robe, garment”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rēafian",
        "t": "to steal, deprive"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rēafian (“to steal, deprive”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "es",
        "2": "ropa",
        "t": "clothing, clothes"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish ropa (“clothing, clothes”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "robe",
      "robe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "roobe",
      "roobe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "robe",
      "robe#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "robbe",
      "robbe#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "reube",
      "reube#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*rouba",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/rouba"
    ],
    [
      "*rauba",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/rauba"
    ],
    [
      "*raubō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raubō"
    ],
    [
      "*raubaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raubaz"
    ],
    [
      "*raubą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raubą"
    ],
    [
      "*Hrewp-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hrewp-"
    ],
    [
      "roup",
      "roup#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Raub",
      "Raub#German"
    ],
    [
      "roubōn",
      "roubon#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "rauben",
      "rauben#German"
    ],
    [
      "rēaf",
      "reaf#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "rēafian",
      "reafian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ropa",
      "ropa#Spanish"
    ],
    [
      "rob",
      "rob"
    ],
    [
      "reaf",
      "reaf"
    ],
    [
      "reave",
      "reave"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "word": "róba",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "lang_code": "gd",
      "word": "ròb",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A long loose outer garment, often signifying honorary stature.",
        "The skin of an animal, especially the bison, dressed with the fur on, and used as a wrap.",
        "A wardrobe, especially one built into a bedroom.",
        "The largest and strongest tobacco leaves."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "recordId": "c6c47023a3d317ed591bdf3c84f900408ef98c3ae9dee24858890f4de37c529a",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 robe →

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-cm9iZQ