*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of rink

From Middle English rink, renk, from Old English rinc (“man, warrior, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *rankiz (“upright man”), from *rankaz (“straight, upright”), from Proto-Indo-European *reǵ- (“straight, direct”). Cognate

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

Original entry ↗
noun

A man, especially a warrior or hero.

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

From Middle English rink, renk, from Old English rinc (“man, warrior, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *rankiz (“upright man”), from *rankaz (“straight, upright”), from Proto-Indo-European *reǵ- (“straight, direct”). Cognate with Scots rink, renk (“man, warrior, hero”), Old Saxon rink (“man”), Old Norse rekkr (“a straight or upright man”), Old English ranc (“proud, noble, valiant”). More at rank.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionrinkenm
  • Inherited-form mentionrincang
  • Inherited-form mention*rankizgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*reǵ-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentionrinksco
  • Cognate mentionrinkosx
  • Cognate mentionrekkrnon
  • Cognate mentionrancang
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "rink"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English rink"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "rinc",
        "4": "",
        "5": "man, warrior, hero"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rinc (“man, warrior, hero”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*rankiz",
        "4": "",
        "5": "upright man"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *rankiz (“upright man”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*reǵ-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "straight, direct"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *reǵ- (“straight, direct”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "rink"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots rink"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "osx",
        "2": "rink",
        "3": "",
        "4": "man"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Saxon rink (“man”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "rekkr",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a straight or upright man"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse rekkr (“a straight or upright man”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ranc",
        "3": "",
        "4": "proud, noble, valiant"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ranc (“proud, noble, valiant”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rink",
      "rink#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "renk",
      "renk#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rinc",
      "rinc#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*rankiz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rankiz"
    ],
    [
      "*rankaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rankaz"
    ],
    [
      "*reǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/reǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "rink",
      "rink#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "renk",
      "renk#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "rink",
      "rink#Old_Saxon"
    ],
    [
      "rekkr",
      "rekkr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "ranc",
      "ranc#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "rank",
      "rank#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A man, especially a warrior or hero."
      ],
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        "UK",
        "dialectal"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To skate on an ice rink.

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

Borrowed from Middle Scots rink, renk (“course, battlefield”), from Middle French renc, from Old French reng, from Frankish *hring, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz. Doublet of rank and ring.

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.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ker- (turn)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-msc",
        "3": "rink"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Middle Scots rink"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "renc"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French renc"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "reng"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French reng"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frk",
        "3": "*hring"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *hring"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hringaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hringaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "rank",
        "3": "ring"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of rank and ring"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rink",
      "rink#Middle_Scots"
    ],
    [
      "renk",
      "renk#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "renc",
      "renc#Middle_French"
    ],
    [
      "reng",
      "reng#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*hring",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hring"
    ],
    [
      "*hringaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hringaz"
    ],
    [
      "rank",
      "rank#English"
    ],
    [
      "ring",
      "ring#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To skate on an ice rink."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "dated",
        "intransitive"
      ],
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Source etymology 2 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A ring; a circle. · A sheet of ice prepared for playing certain sports, such as hockey or curling. · A surface for roller skating. · A building housing an ice rink.

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

Borrowed from Middle Scots rink, renk (“course, battlefield”), from Middle French renc, from Old French reng, from Frankish *hring, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz. Doublet of rank and ring.

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": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ker- (turn)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-msc",
        "3": "rink"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Middle Scots rink"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "renc"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French renc"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "reng"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French reng"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frk",
        "3": "*hring"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *hring"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hringaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hringaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "rank",
        "3": "ring"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of rank and ring"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "rink",
      "rink#Middle_Scots"
    ],
    [
      "renk",
      "renk#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "renc",
      "renc#Middle_French"
    ],
    [
      "reng",
      "reng#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*hring",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hring"
    ],
    [
      "*hringaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hringaz"
    ],
    [
      "rank",
      "rank#English"
    ],
    [
      "ring",
      "ring#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "rinque",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "word": "rink",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A ring; a circle.",
        "A sheet of ice prepared for playing certain sports, such as hockey or curling.",
        "A surface for roller skating.",
        "A building housing an ice rink."
      ],
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        "UK",
        "dialectal"
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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 rink →

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-cmluaw