*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of rank

From Middle English rank (“strong, proud”), from Old English ranc (“proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, forward, overbearing, showy, ostentatious, splendid, bold, valiant, noble, brave, strong, full-grown, mature”), from

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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
adj

Strong in growth; growing with vigour or rapidity, hence, coarse or gross. · Causing strong growth; producing luxuriantly; rich and fertile. · Suffering from overgrowth or hypertrophy; plethoric. · Strong to the senses; offensive; noisome.

adv

Quickly, eagerly, impetuously.

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

From Middle English rank (“strong, proud”), from Old English ranc (“proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, forward, overbearing, showy, ostentatious, splendid, bold, valiant, noble, brave, strong, full-grown, mature”), from Proto-West Germanic *rank, from Proto-Germanic *rankaz (“straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“straight, direct”). Cognate with Dutch rank (“slender, slim”), Low German rank (“slender, projecting, lank”), Danish rank (“straight, erect, slender”), Swedish rank (“slender, shaky, wonky”), Icelandic rakkur (“straight, slender, bold, valiant”). The sense referring to taste or odor is possibly influenced by rancor.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*h₃reǵ-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionrankenm · strong, proud
  • Inherited-form mentionrancang · proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, forward, overbearing, showy, ostentatious, splendid, bold, valiant, noble, brave, strong, full-grown, mature
  • Inherited-form mention*rankgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*rankazgem-pro · straight
  • Derivation mention*h₃reǵ-ine-pro · straight, direct
  • Cognate mentionranknl · slender, slim
  • Cognate mentionranknds · slender, projecting, lank
  • Cognate mentionrankda · straight, erect, slender
  • Cognate mentionranksv · slender, shaky, wonky
  • Cognate mentionrakkuris · straight, slender, bold, valiant

This page abbreviates 5 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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    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₃reǵ-"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rank",
        "t": "strong, proud"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rank (“strong, proud”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ranc",
        "t": "proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, forward, overbearing, showy, ostentatious, splendid, bold, valiant, noble, brave, strong, full-grown, mature"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ranc (“proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent, forward, overbearing, showy, ostentatious, splendid, bold, valiant, noble, brave, strong, full-grown, mature”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*rank"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *rank"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*rankaz",
        "t": "straight"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *rankaz (“straight”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₃reǵ-",
        "t": "straight, direct"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“straight, direct”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "rank",
        "t": "slender, slim"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch rank (“slender, slim”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "rank",
        "t": "slender, projecting, lank"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German rank (“slender, projecting, lank”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "rank",
        "t": "straight, erect, slender"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish rank (“straight, erect, slender”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "rank",
        "t": "slender, shaky, wonky"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish rank (“slender, shaky, wonky”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "rakkur",
        "t": "straight, slender, bold, valiant"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic rakkur (“straight, slender, bold, valiant”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "rank",
      "rank#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "ranc#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*rank",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/rank"
    ],
    [
      "*rankaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rankaz"
    ],
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      "*h₃reǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₃reǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "rank",
      "rank#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "rank",
      "rank#Low_German"
    ],
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      "rank",
      "rank#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "rank",
      "rank#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "rakkur",
      "rakkur#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "rancor",
      "rancor#English"
    ]
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Strong in growth; growing with vigour or rapidity, hence, coarse or gross.",
        "Causing strong growth; producing luxuriantly; rich and fertile.",
        "Suffering from overgrowth or hypertrophy; plethoric.",
        "Strong to the senses; offensive; noisome."
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      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Quickly, eagerly, impetuously."
      ],
      "tags": [
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To place abreast or in a line. · To have a ranking. · To assign a suitable place in a class or order; to classify. · To take the rank of; to outrank.

noun

A row of people or things organized in a grid pattern, often soldiers. · One of the eight horizontal lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a number). · The value of a playing card. · In a pipe organ, a set of pipes of a certain quality for which each pipe corresponds to one key or pedal.

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

From Middle English rank (“line, row”), from Old French ranc, rang, reng (“line, row, rank”) (Modern French rang), from Frankish *hring (“ring”), from Proto-Germanic *hringaz (“something bent or curved”). Displaced native Old English hād (“rank, status”). Akin to Old High German (h)ring, Old Frisian hring, Old English hring, hrincg (“ring”), Old Norse hringr (“ring, circle, queue, sword; ship”). Doublet of ring and rink.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionrankenm · line, row
  • Derivation mentionrancfro
  • Cognate mentionrangfr
  • Derivation mention*hringazgem-pro · something bent or curved
  • Cognate mentionhringgoh
  • Cognate mentionhringofs
  • Cognate mentionhringang
  • Cognate mentionhringrnon
  • Doublet mentionringen
  • Doublet mentionrinken

This page abbreviates 9 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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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rank",
        "t": "line, row"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rank (“line, row”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "ranc"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French ranc"
    },
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      "args": {
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        "2": "rang"
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      "expansion": "French rang"
    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
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        "2": "frk",
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      "name": "noncog",
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "hring",
        "3": "(h)ring"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German (h)ring"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "hring"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian hring"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "hring",
        "3": "hring, hrincg",
        "4": "ring"
      },
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        "2": "ring",
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  ],
  "links": [
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      "rank#Middle_English"
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      "ranc",
      "ranc#Old_French"
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      "rang",
      "rang#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "reng",
      "reng#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "rang",
      "rang#French"
    ],
    [
      "*hring",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hring"
    ],
    [
      "*hringaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hringaz"
    ],
    [
      "hād",
      "had#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "(h)ring",
      "hring#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "hring",
      "hring#Old_Frisian"
    ],
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      "hring, hrincg",
      "hring#Old_English"
    ],
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      "hringr",
      "hringr#Old_Norse"
    ],
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      "ring",
      "ring#English"
    ],
    [
      "rink",
      "rink#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "verb",
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        "To place abreast or in a line.",
        "To have a ranking.",
        "To assign a suitable place in a class or order; to classify.",
        "To take the rank of; to outrank."
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        "The value of a playing card.",
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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 rank →

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-cmFuaw