English word origin

Etymology of rate

From Middle English rate, from Old French rate, from Medieval Latin rata, from Latin prō ratā parte (“according to a fixed part”), from ratus (“fixed”), from rērī (“think, deem, judge, estimate", originally "reckon, calc

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

The worth of something; value. · The proportional relationship between one amount, value etc. and another. · Speed. · The relative speed of change or progress.

verb

To assign or be assigned a particular rank or level. · To evaluate or estimate the value of. · To consider or regard. · To deserve; to be worth.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*h₂er-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionrateenm
Derivation mentionratefro

This page abbreviates 17 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "3": "*h₂er-"
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    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rate"
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      "expansion": "Middle English rate"
    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "3": "rate"
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    ]
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        "The worth of something; value.",
        "The proportional relationship between one amount, value etc. and another.",
        "Speed.",
        "The relative speed of change or progress."
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        "To evaluate or estimate the value of.",
        "To consider or regard.",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To berate, scold.

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

From Middle English raten (“to scold, chide”), from Old Norse hrata (“to refuse, reject, slight, find fault with”), from Proto-Germanic *hratōną (“to sway, shake”), from Proto-Indo-European *krad- (“to swing”). Cognate with Swedish rata (“to reject, refuse, find fault, slight”), Norwegian rata (“to reject, cast aside”), Old English hratian (“to rush, hasten”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionratenenm
Derivation mentionhratanon
Derivation mention*hratōnągem-pro
Derivation mention*krad-ine-pro
Cognate mentionratasv
Cognate mentionratano
Cognate mentionhratianang

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "cog",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

To cause (hay, hemp, flax, etc) to decay (whether in an injurious way, or—as retting—in a useful way) by exposure to weather, particularly wetness.

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

Related to, or a variant of, ret. (Found dialectally also as rait.)

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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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 rate →

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-cmF0ZQ