English word origin

Etymology of rill

From or akin to West Frisian ril (“rill; a narrow channel”), Dutch ril (“rill; gully; trench; watercourse”), German Low German Rille, Rill (“a small channel; brook; furrow”), German Rille (“a groove; furrow”).

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 ↗

verb

To trickle, pour, or run like a small stream.

noun

A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet. · Alternative form of rille.

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.

Cognate mentionrilfy · rill; a narrow channel
Cognate mentionrilnl · rill; gully; trench; watercourse
Cognate mentionRillede · a groove; furrow

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "ril",
        "t": "rill; a narrow channel"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian ril (“rill; a narrow channel”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "ril",
        "t": "rill; gully; trench; watercourse"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch ril (“rill; gully; trench; watercourse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "Rille"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German Rille"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Rille",
        "t": "a groove; furrow"
      },
      "expansion": "German Rille (“a groove; furrow”)"
    }
  ],
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      "ril#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
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      "ril#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Rille",
      "Rille#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Rill",
      "Rill#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "Rille",
      "Rille#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To trickle, pour, or run like a small stream."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 232843
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet.",
        "Alternative form of rille."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "8339268a804806d4466a2a8a4b726e9a3b856018fccc8e6bd2b50826ffc553e8",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Real.

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

A stylized variant of real prevalent in hip-hop.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "stylized",
      "stylized"
    ],
    [
      "real",
      "real"
    ],
    [
      "hip-hop",
      "hip-hop"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Real."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ],
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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 rill →

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-cmlsbA