English word origin

Etymology of rant

From Dutch ranten, randen (“to talk nonsense, rave”), from Middle Dutch ranten (“to rant, babble, goof around”), of uncertain origin; but apparently related to Middle High German ranzen (“to dance, jump around, frolic”),

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 speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger. · To disseminate one's own opinions in a—typically—one-sided, strong manner. · To criticize by ranting. · To speak extravagantly, as in merriment.

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.

Borrowed-form mentionrantennl
Derivation mentionrantendum · to rant, babble, goof around
Cognate mentionranzengmh · to dance, jump around, frolic
Cognate mentionranzende · to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up

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.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nl",
        "3": "ranten"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch ranten"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "ranten",
        "t": "to rant, babble, goof around"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch ranten (“to rant, babble, goof around”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "ranzen",
        "t": "to dance, jump around, frolic"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German ranzen (“to dance, jump around, frolic”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "ranzen",
        "t": "to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up"
      },
      "expansion": "German ranzen (“to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ranten",
      "ranten#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "randen",
      "randen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "ranten",
      "ranten#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "ranzen",
      "ranzen#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "ranzen",
      "ranzen#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.",
        "To disseminate one's own opinions in a—typically—one-sided, strong manner.",
        "To criticize by ranting.",
        "To speak extravagantly, as in merriment."
      ],
      "tags": [
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    }
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A criticism done by ranting. · A wild, emotional, and sometimes incoherent articulation. · A type of dance step usually performed in clogs, and particularly (but not exclusively) associated with the English North West Morris tradition. The rant step consists of alternately bringing one foot across and in front of the other and striking the ground, with the other foot making a little hop.

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.

Borrowed-form mentionrantennl
Derivation mentionrantendum · to rant, babble, goof around
Cognate mentionranzengmh · to dance, jump around, frolic
Cognate mentionranzende · to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nl",
        "3": "ranten"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch ranten"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "ranten",
        "t": "to rant, babble, goof around"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch ranten (“to rant, babble, goof around”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "ranzen",
        "t": "to dance, jump around, frolic"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German ranzen (“to dance, jump around, frolic”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "ranzen",
        "t": "to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up"
      },
      "expansion": "German ranzen (“to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ranten",
      "ranten#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "randen",
      "randen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "ranten",
      "ranten#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "ranzen",
      "ranzen#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "ranzen",
      "ranzen#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "Rant",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A criticism done by ranting.",
        "A wild, emotional, and sometimes incoherent articulation.",
        "A type of dance step usually performed in clogs, and particularly (but not exclusively) associated with the English North West Morris tradition. The rant step consists of alternately bringing one foot across and in front of the other and striking the ground, with the other foot making a little hop."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
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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.

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Contribute located evidence for rant →

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-cmFudA