*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of rear

From Middle English reren (“to raise”), from Old English rǣran (“to raise, set upright, promote, exalt, begin, create, give rise to, excite, rouse, arouse, stir up”), from Proto-West Germanic *raiʀijan, from Proto-German

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 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 ↗
verb

To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster. · To breed and raise. · To rise up on the hind legs. · To get angry.

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

From Middle English reren (“to raise”), from Old English rǣran (“to raise, set upright, promote, exalt, begin, create, give rise to, excite, rouse, arouse, stir up”), from Proto-West Germanic *raiʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *raizijaną, *raisijaną (“to cause to rise, raise”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rey- (“to lift oneself, rise”). Cognate with Scots rere (“to construct, build, rear”), Icelandic reisa (“to raise”), Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (raisjan, “to cause to rise, lift up, establish”), German reisen (“to travel”, literally “to rear up and depart”); and a doublet of raise. More at rise. Related to rise and raise, which is used for several of its now archaic or obsolete senses and for some of its senses that are currently more common in other dialects of English.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 6 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": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "reren",
        "t": "to raise"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English reren (“to raise”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "rǣran",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to raise, set upright, promote, exalt, begin, create, give rise to, excite, rouse, arouse, stir up"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rǣran (“to raise, set upright, promote, exalt, begin, create, give rise to, excite, rouse, arouse, stir up”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*raiʀijan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *raiʀijan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*raizijaną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *raizijaną"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁rey-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to lift oneself, rise"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₁rey- (“to lift oneself, rise”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "rere",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to construct, build, rear"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots rere (“to construct, build, rear”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "reisa",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to raise"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic reisa (“to raise”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to cause to rise, lift up, establish"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (raisjan, “to cause to rise, lift up, establish”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "reisen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to travel",
        "lit": "to rear up and depart"
      },
      "expansion": "German reisen (“to travel”, literally “to rear up and depart”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "raise",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "doublet of raise"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "reren",
      "reren#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rǣran",
      "ræran#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*raiʀijan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/raiʀijan"
    ],
    [
      "*raizijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raizijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*raisijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raisijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*h₁rey-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₁rey-"
    ],
    [
      "rere",
      "rere#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "reisa",
      "reisa#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽",
      "𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽#Gothic"
    ],
    [
      "reisen",
      "reisen#German"
    ],
    [
      "raise",
      "raise#English"
    ],
    [
      "rise",
      "rise#English"
    ],
    [
      "rise",
      "rise"
    ],
    [
      "raise",
      "raise"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster.",
        "To breed and raise.",
        "To rise up on the hind legs.",
        "To get angry."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive",
        "usually"
      ],
      "recordId": "ff71ee96ab908769b96178f08f571591529a3e473e14eb825d16a9b716785f65",
      "rawRecordSha256": "742e64b582890da325780ff3b0d74342afd4efd3672385d597fdf28050741516",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259888
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 6,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order. · Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest. · The buttocks or bottom.

adj

Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost.

verb

To place in the rear; to secure the rear of. · To sodomize (perform anal sex)

adv

early; soon

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

From Middle English rere, from Anglo-Norman rere, ultimately from Latin retro. Compare arrear. Doublet of retro.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionrereenm
  • Derivation mentionretrola
  • Doublet mentionretroen
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rere"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rere"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "rere"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman rere"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "retro"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin retro"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "retro"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of retro"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rere",
      "rere#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rere",
      "rere#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "retro",
      "retro#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "arrear",
      "arrear"
    ],
    [
      "retro",
      "retro#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order.",
        "Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.",
        "The buttocks or bottom."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "01658df5974af3d83c0f86601114aca901d7dbd034aa4c5f930eefa3abd91799",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c7deb954a437142ff660b88e73800d5f8abb443128be29622c7f40164facd6c5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259891
    },
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "16cbede4ed8e744b051e7a36b0ff965a7df926004e2c825a0eb500cd31fdcde5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8a373fda2db6c0dde1f8c34071b9393a43dfacb3425aa360d2196c77654da90d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259889
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.",
        "To sodomize (perform anal sex)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "transitive",
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "recordId": "20173af84de51bf82078910845e375c004a663bf2ed8b2d8975d6ceec2fce588",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c5b2009db8d0ef8542605c69e9246f45ce3cd6262beb8942b71dba5bc249b009",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259892
    },
    {
      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "early; soon"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "dialectal",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "6ab66450d3b3585bd6356b578e585ff6f176e516263c7c433cbe766414efe52b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "d249b2c124ab392793593910dbf71ac29e5665442c3ac22ce193aaf197f21583",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259890
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To move; stir. · To carve. · To revive, bring to life, quicken. (only in the phrase, to rear to life)

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

From Middle English reren, from Old English hrēran (“to move, shake, agitate”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōzijaną (“to stir”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱroHs- (“to mix, stir, cook”). Cognate with Dutch roeren (“to stir, shake, whip”), German rühren (“to stir, beat, move”), Swedish röra (“to touch, move, stir”), Icelandic hræra (“to stir”).

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": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "reren"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English reren"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hrēran",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to move, shake, agitate"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hrēran (“to move, shake, agitate”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hrōzijaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to stir"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hrōzijaną (“to stir”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*ḱroHs-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to mix, stir, cook"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *ḱroHs- (“to mix, stir, cook”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "roeren",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stir, shake, whip"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch roeren (“to stir, shake, whip”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "rühren",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stir, beat, move"
      },
      "expansion": "German rühren (“to stir, beat, move”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "röra",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to touch, move, stir"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish röra (“to touch, move, stir”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hræra",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stir"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hræra (“to stir”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "reren",
      "reren#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "hrēran",
      "hreran#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*hrōzijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hrōzijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱroHs-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱroHs-"
    ],
    [
      "roeren",
      "roeren#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "rühren",
      "rühren#German"
    ],
    [
      "röra",
      "röra#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "hræra",
      "hræra#Icelandic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To move; stir.",
        "To carve.",
        "To revive, bring to life, quicken. (only in the phrase, to rear to life)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "obsolete",
        "regional"
      ],
      "recordId": "3b40904ec8778972dc96cb1a8a4e3d4db13ea45b14af92fe2b9ff1f5bbe9d0d5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6ba04759c319980628824980673d44819c907703d29fe104268a80c6b99f2b24",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259893
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
adj

(of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw. · (of meats) Rare.

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

From Middle English rere, from Old English hrēr, hrēre (“not thoroughly cooked, underdone, lightly boiled”), from hrēran (“to move, shake, agitate”), from Proto-Germanic *hrōzijaną (“to stir”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱroHs- (“to mix, stir, cook”). Related to Old English hrōr (“stirring, busy, active, strong, brave”), Dutch roeren (“to stir, shake, whip”), German rühren (“to stir, beat, move”), Swedish röra (“to touch, move, stir”), Icelandic hræra (“to stir”).

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": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rere"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rere"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hrēr"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hrēr"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hrōzijaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to stir"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hrōzijaną (“to stir”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*ḱroHs-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to mix, stir, cook"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *ḱroHs- (“to mix, stir, cook”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "hrōr",
        "3": "",
        "4": "stirring, busy, active, strong, brave"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hrōr (“stirring, busy, active, strong, brave”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "roeren",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stir, shake, whip"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch roeren (“to stir, shake, whip”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "rühren",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stir, beat, move"
      },
      "expansion": "German rühren (“to stir, beat, move”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "röra",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to touch, move, stir"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish röra (“to touch, move, stir”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hræra",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stir"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hræra (“to stir”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rere",
      "rere#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "hrēr",
      "hrer#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "hrēre",
      "hrere#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "hrēran",
      "hreran#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*hrōzijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hrōzijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱroHs-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱroHs-"
    ],
    [
      "hrōr",
      "hror#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "roeren",
      "roeren#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "rühren",
      "rühren#German"
    ],
    [
      "röra",
      "röra#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "hræra",
      "hræra#Icelandic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "(of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw.",
        "(of meats) Rare."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "US"
      ],
      "recordId": "dc12b832099c05ee3cf99406611e710b620f0cb9bfc1d44c7a0b33d1fe9155d8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0bf74ae975a5e29b149a265524e0ef38b56867b76a38eb25eb50e200e56bb441",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 259894
    }
  ],
  "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 rear →

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-cmVhcg