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English word origin

Etymology of ruby

From Middle English ruby, rube, from Old French rubi, from Medieval Latin rubīnus. Doublet of rubi and rubine. Etymology 1 sense 7 (“pronunciation guide”) is from the British 5½-point type size (etymology 1 sense 6), use

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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
adj

Of a deep, red color; ruby-red.

verb

To make red; to redden.

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

From Middle English ruby, rube, from Old French rubi, from Medieval Latin rubīnus. Doublet of rubi and rubine. Etymology 1 sense 7 (“pronunciation guide”) is from the British 5½-point type size (etymology 1 sense 6), used for annotations in printed documents.

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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        "1": "任天堂",
        "2": "^にんてんどう"
      },
      "expansion": "任天堂(にんてんどう) (Nintendō)"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁rewdʰ-"
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
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        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "rubīnus"
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    },
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        "2": "rubi",
        "3": "rubine"
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      "rubinus#Latin"
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      "rubine",
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    ]
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A clear, deep, red variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone. · A deep red colour. · The tincture red or gules. · A ruby hummer, a South American hummingbird, Clytolaema rubricauda.

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

From Middle English ruby, rube, from Old French rubi, from Medieval Latin rubīnus. Doublet of rubi and rubine. Etymology 1 sense 7 (“pronunciation guide”) is from the British 5½-point type size (etymology 1 sense 6), used for annotations in printed documents.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 4 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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    {
      "name": "ja-r",
      "args": {
        "1": "任天堂",
        "2": "^にんてんどう"
      },
      "expansion": "任天堂(にんてんどう) (Nintendō)"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₁rewdʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ruby"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
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        "2": "fro",
        "3": "rubi"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French rubi"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "rubīnus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin rubīnus"
    },
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      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "ルビ",
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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 ruby →

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-cnVieQ