*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of rally

From Middle French rallier (French rallier), from Old French ralier, from Latin prefix re- + ad + ligare (“to bind; to ally”).

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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A public gathering or mass meeting that is not mainly a protest and is organized to inspire enthusiasm for a cause. · A protest or demonstration for or against something, but often with speeches and often without marching, especially in North America. · A sequence of strokes between serving and scoring a point. · An event in which competitors drive through a series of timed special stages at intervals. The winner is the driver who completes all stages with the shortest cumulative time.

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

From Middle French rallier (French rallier), from Old French ralier, from Latin prefix re- + ad + ligare (“to bind; to ally”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 1 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.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "rallier"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French rallier"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "rallier"
      },
      "expansion": "French rallier"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "ralier"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French ralier"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rallier",
      "rallier#Middle_French"
    ],
    [
      "rallier",
      "rallier#French"
    ],
    [
      "ralier",
      "ralier#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "re-",
      "re-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ad",
      "ad#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ligare",
      "ligare#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "bind",
      "bind"
    ],
    [
      "ally",
      "ally"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Bengali",
      "lang_code": "bn",
      "word": "র্যালি",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "rêli"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "word": "ра́лли",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "rálli"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A public gathering or mass meeting that is not mainly a protest and is organized to inspire enthusiasm for a cause.",
        "A protest or demonstration for or against something, but often with speeches and often without marching, especially in North America.",
        "A sequence of strokes between serving and scoring a point.",
        "An event in which competitors drive through a series of timed special stages at intervals. The winner is the driver who completes all stages with the shortest cumulative time."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "64369ce4036beecb00ddd69588499a6b3afa941ab100ee035db5124cf9ff0a3d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "22e9ee439fe91860a2878cef0528d4026a86f9bc665f230b0a701ea2fb9339cb",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 238792
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 1,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To collect, and reduce to order, as troops dispersed or thrown into confusion; to gather again; to reunite. · To come into orderly arrangement; to renew order, or united effort, as troops scattered or put to flight; to assemble. · To collect one's vital powers or forces; to regain health or consciousness. · To recover strength after a decline in prices.

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

From Middle French rallier (French rallier), from Old French ralier, from Latin prefix re- + ad + ligare (“to bind; to ally”).

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": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "rallier"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French rallier"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "rallier"
      },
      "expansion": "French rallier"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "ralier"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French ralier"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rallier",
      "rallier#Middle_French"
    ],
    [
      "rallier",
      "rallier#French"
    ],
    [
      "ralier",
      "ralier#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "re-",
      "re-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ad",
      "ad#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ligare",
      "ligare#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "bind",
      "bind"
    ],
    [
      "ally",
      "ally"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To collect, and reduce to order, as troops dispersed or thrown into confusion; to gather again; to reunite.",
        "To come into orderly arrangement; to renew order, or united effort, as troops scattered or put to flight; to assemble.",
        "To collect one's vital powers or forces; to regain health or consciousness.",
        "To recover strength after a decline in prices."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive",
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "2a864af645f28bfd0005e2ed31d4b26bc15eedcc0e193c84401db806c6b37394",
      "rawRecordSha256": "7ce85602e9d733447c0192cb88fa0900c214c68253654363c590f1f65a0e71e6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 238793
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To tease; to chaff good-humouredly.

noun

Good-humoured raillery.

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

From French railler. See rail (“to scoff”).

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": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "railler"
      },
      "expansion": "French railler"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "railler",
      "railler#French"
    ],
    [
      "rail",
      "rail#English"
    ],
    [
      "scoff",
      "scoff"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To tease; to chaff good-humouredly."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "caebcdd073a3611933c77dc1bc23f2cbce026012d0562251a546294e4c14059b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0c7ac821a09cf70a69479f829ccb361312e74e05156d741583922a3824bdf8b7",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 238794
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Good-humoured raillery."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "e8f7f0842dda440da5251a28209c7afa82bf5694cd62bbdf8ea554486e8c85cd",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3bb655a9c35fade55a927fbafa987c316774579102f174bc1fb5360ab60cba16",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 238795
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "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 rally →

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-cmFsbHk