*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of risky

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *sek- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sekaō Latin seco Latin resecōdeverb. Vulgar Latin *resecum Old Italian riscobo

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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

Original entry ↗
adj

Dangerous; involving risks. · Risqué. · Misspelling of risqué.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *sek- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sekaō Latin seco Latin resecōdeverb. Vulgar Latin *resecum Old Italian riscobor. ▲ Old Italian risco Italian rischio Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Italian -are Italian rischiarebor. Middle French risquebor. English risque English risk Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English risky From risk + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "risk",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Italic *wre-\nLatin re-\nProto-Indo-European *sek-\nProto-Indo-European *-yeti\nProto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti\nProto-Italic *sekaō\nLatin seco\nLatin resecōdeverb.\nVulgar Latin *resecum\nOld Italian riscobor.\n▲\nOld Italian risco\nItalian rischio\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nItalian -are\nItalian rischiarebor.\nMiddle French risquebor.\nEnglish risque\nEnglish risk\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish risky\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"deverb.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Deverbal from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"again\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*wre-\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"re-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*sékh₁yeti\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"cut\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*sek-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yeti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*sekaō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"seco\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"resecō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"deverbal\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Vulgar Latin\", \"term\" : \"*resecum\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la-vul\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Italian\", \"term\" : \"risco\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"roa-oit\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"roa-oit\", \"2\" : \":inherited\", \"3\" : \"la-vul:*resecum\", \"status\" : \"inline\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old Italian\", \"term\" : \"risco\", \"lang\" : \"roa-oit\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Italian\", \"term\" : \"rischio\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"it\" }, { \"id\" : \"verb\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ājō\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\", \"pos\" : \"suffix originally used to form collective nouns, extended in Late PIE to also be a marker of feminine gender\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-éh₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"intransitive verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-eh₂yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"influ.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Influenced by\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂ti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"influence\" } ], \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-āō\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ō\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Italian\", \"term\" : \"-are\", \"lang\" : \"it\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Italian\", \"term\" : \"rischiare\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"it\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle French\", \"term\" : \"risque\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"frm\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"risque\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"risk\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"adjectival\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectives\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-kos\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-gaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-g\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"risky\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"risky\">\nFrom risk + -y."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "risk",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Italic *wre-\nLatin re-\nProto-Indo-European *sek-\nProto-Indo-European *-yeti\nProto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti\nProto-Italic *sekaō\nLatin seco\nLatin resecōdeverb.\nVulgar Latin *resecum\nOld Italian riscobor.\n▲\nOld Italian risco\nItalian rischio\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nItalian -are\nItalian rischiarebor.\nMiddle French risquebor.\nEnglish risque\nEnglish risk\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish risky\nFrom risk + -y."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*wre-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/wre-#Proto-Italic:_again"
    ],
    [
      "re-",
      "re-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*sek-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/sek-#Proto-Indo-European:_cut"
    ],
    [
      "*-yeti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yeti"
    ],
    [
      "*sekaō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/sekaō"
    ],
    [
      "seco",
      "seco#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "resecō",
      "reseco#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*resecum",
      "Reconstruction:Latin/resecum"
    ],
    [
      "risco",
      "risco#Italian"
    ],
    [
      "risco",
      "risco#Italian"
    ],
    [
      "rischio",
      "rischio#Italian"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-éh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éh₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_intransitive_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂ti"
    ],
    [
      "*-āō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-āō#Proto-Italic:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "-ō",
      "-o#Latin:_denominative"
    ],
    [
      "-are",
      "-are#Italian:_verb"
    ],
    [
      "rischiare",
      "rischiare#Italian"
    ],
    [
      "risque",
      "risque#Middle_French"
    ],
    [
      "risque",
      "risque#English:_risk"
    ],
    [
      "risk",
      "risk#English"
    ],
    [
      "*-kos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-kos#Proto-Indo-European:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-gaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-gaz#Proto-Germanic:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-g",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-g#Proto-West_Germanic:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-iġ",
      "-ig#Old_English:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#Middle_English:_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "risk",
      "risk#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Dangerous; involving risks.",
        "Risqué.",
        "Misspelling of risqué."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "alt-of",
        "misspelling"
      ],
      "recordId": "4d317c130ced01e221fc1befd7ae703b2aa9e3838fd967569d92258c68f15db9",
      "rawRecordSha256": "566760f7e3d0fdda287f2b80e4a878b300a996ec4c9473a04db5290300ef5aab",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 338304
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "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 risky →

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-cmlza3k