Staff R of the English Wordbook.
Basic abbreviations: att'd=attested, OE=Old English, NHG=New High German, Du.=Dutch
For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see Forshortenings.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
| rabbit | n | homehare, rob (Flem. or M.Du. robbe "rabbit") |
| race | n | kind, stock, strain |
| raccoon | n | washbear (calque of Norwegian vaskebjørn (wash-bear) |
| radar | n | forereader, far reader |
| radiant | adj | shiny, bright, beaming, glowing, throughbright (<OE þurhbeorht) |
| radiate | vb | shine, glow |
| radio | adj & n | wireless (gadget) |
| radio | n | broadcasting (concept of radiotelegraphy) |
| radius | n | spoke, spokelength, spokespan, staffreach |
| rage | n | anger, wrath, grame (from OE gremian, to enrage) |
| railroad | n | ironroad |
| raise (Norse) | vb | aheave [ahove, ahaven] (<OE ahebban, cf. NHG erheben), lift (up) |
| range | n | reach, stetch |
| rancid | adj | rotting, reeking, smelly, stale, foul, dank, rank, taff |
| rank | n | hoad (<OE hád) |
| rankle | vb | gall, irk |
| rape | vb & n | needheem, thrakeheem, reave, rove, befoul, gainswive, plunder, mightswive, dintswive, formight (calque of Dutch verkrachten) |
| rapid | adj | fast, quick, speedy, swift |
| rappel | vb | abseil |
| rare | adj | seldly, seldom, seldseen, unlikely, fewsome |
| rarely | adv | seldom |
| rarified | adj | fewsome, thin |
| rarify | vb | seldlyen, befewen, bedearthen,thin |
| rarity | n | seldiness,seldomhood, dearth, fewness |
| raspberry | n | hindberry (att'd, < OE hindberie, akin to NHG Himbeere) |
| rat | n | mouse |
| rational | adj | rightwise (<OE rihtwís), shedwise (<OE scéadwís) |
| rationalism | n | witdom, wittroth, fathomdom, fornufttroth (Calque of NHG Vernunftglaube) |
| ravage | vb | wreck, trash, smash, pull down overwhelm, overrun, overthrow, harry |
| ravine | n | chine, gap, ditch, gulch, ghyll |
| ray | n | beam, streal (<OE strǽl, cf. NHG Strahl) |
| razor | n | shaver |
| re- | pref | again-, eft-, ed-, gain- |
| re- | pref | back- |
| re- | pref | with- |
| realize/realise | vb | acknowledge, dawn upon |
| real | adj | true |
| reality | n | wareness/warehood (analagous calque from continental Germ. langs: Gewahrheit- awareness, Wahrheit- 'wareness/-hood') |
| really | adv | truly, mighty |
| realm (royal) | n | kingdom |
| realm | n | world |
| reason (cause) | n |
inthing (<OE intinga/inþing) ontimber (<OE ontimber) orsake (Cf. NHG Ursache, Du. oorzaak, Swed. orsak) wherefore, why (att'd) ground (Cf. NHG Grund, Dan. grund, Norw. grunn) |
| reason (faculty) | n |
andget (<OE andgiet) rake (<OE racu) rightwiseness (<OE rihtwísnes) shedwiseness (<OE scéadwísnes) yeroad (<OE gerád) yeshed (<OE gescéad) yewit (<OE gewitt) forstand (Cf. NHG Verstand, Swed. förstånd) fornuft (Cf. NHG Vernunft, Dan. fornuft, Norw. fornuft) |
| reasonable | adj | shedwise (<OE scéadwís), yshedly (<OE gescéadlic) |
| rebellion | n | uprising |
| rebuke | vb | scold, snape |
| recall | vb | call to mind, think back to, bethink |
| recapitulation | n | eftspelling (<OE eftspellung) |
| receive | vb |
get onfang [past onfeng, ppt onfangen] (<OE onfōn) underfang [past underfeng, ppt underfangen] (<OE underfón) thidge (OE thicgan) |
| recently | adv | lately, newly, shortago |
| recital | n | reading, singshow, yarn |
| recline | vb | lie back, lie down, stretch heel |
| recognise | vb | acknowledge, gainknow (NHG wiederkennen), acknow |
| recommend | vb | onbefeal [past onbefole, ppt onbefolen] ("on" + "befeal" <OE befeolan; a calque of Du. aanbevelen, NHG empfehlen, Dan. anbefale), befeal on |
| recompense | n | gainyield |
| reconsideration | n | afterthought |
| reconcile | vb | settle, thing |
| reconciliation | n | eftthinging (<OE eftþingung) |
| recovery | n | comeback, pick-up, upturn, upswing, healing, greenshoot |
| recreation | n | eftforgiveness (<OE eftforgiefnes) |
| recriminate | vb | blackblame |
| recruit | vb | inspan |
| rectum | n | arsepipe, arseway |
| recurrence | n | comeback, flashback |
| redeem | vb | gainbuy |
| redemption | n | eftlesing (<OE eftlésung) |
| red ochre (Fe2O3) | n | reddle/raddle/ruddle (<"rudd"<OE rudu) |
| reduce | n | lessen, lower |
| redundance | n | eftflowing (<OE eftflowung) |
| refer (to) | vb | bespeak, call |
| refined | adj | couth |
| reflect | vb | show |
| reflection | n | glance, backshine |
| reform | n | ameeding |
| reform | vb | ameed, forbetter |
| reformer | n | ameeder, forbetterer (Calque of NHG Verbesserer) |
| refractory | adj | witherhedging (<OE wiðerhycgende) |
| refrain | vb | forbear |
| refridgerator | n | chiller, cooler |
| refuge | n | haven, frithstead |
| refugee | n | haven seeker |
| refulgent | adj | shining |
| refuse | n | chaff, |
| refuse | vb | asake, gall, wern (OEwiernan), atdeem (<OE ætdeman), |
| refute | vb |
allay (<OE álecgan) forkithe (<OE forcýðan) onsake [past onsoke, ppt onsaken] (<OE onsacan) withshove [past withshove, ppt withshoven] (<OE wiþscúfan) witherlay (Cf. NHG widerlegen) |
| regard | vb | look at set down |
| regarding | prep | about |
| regenerate | adj | edquick (<OE edcwic) |
| regicide | n | kingslaughter, kingslaying, kingmurder |
| regime | n | yoke, rike |
| regiment | n | fight(ing)group |
| region | n | landship |
| regret | vb | mourn, weep, weep over, look back, feel sorry, rue |
| regular | adj | everyday |
| regulate | vb | key to |
| reign | n. | kingship, queenship, athelingship |
| reinforce | vb | strengthen, trim, bolster, harden up, up hold, make firm, underset |
| reject | vb | forwarp (Cf. NHG verwerfen), lean (sth/sb) off (separable), shun, spurn, awayen, withchoose (<OE wiþceosan) |
| rejuvinate | vb | reyouthen |
| relapse | vb | backslide |
| relate | phr vb | To belong to, bear upon, stand with, link with, tie in with, tell of, cithe (OE cythan), bring word of, deal with, give tidings of, write of, make known, set out, unfold, be akin to |
| related | adj | akin (to), kindred, sibbed to, forwent (Cf. NHG verwandt) |
| relative(s) | n | kin, kinfolk, kinsmen, sib, sibling, bysib, own flesh & blood, blood-bondling, bloodsib |
| relations | n | undertakings between, dealings with |
| relationship | n | maithhood (<OE mǽgðhád), forwentship (Cf. NHG Verwandtschaft) |
| relax | vb | rest, loosen up, slacken, chill out, unwind |
| relaxation | n |
eftforgiveness (<OE eftforgiefnes) stillness (<OE stillnes/stilnes) |
| relaxation (dressage) | n | looselettenhood (Cf. NHG Losgelassenheit) |
| relaxed | adj | smooth, loose, mellow |
| release | n | outlet, loosing |
| release | vb | let go, loose, alease |
| reliable | adj | trustworthy |
| relieve | n | lighten, soothe, help, unburden, allay, still (the fears), salve |
| religion | n | worship |
| religious | adj | worshipful |
| relinquish | vb |
upgive (obs. att'd) give up (Cf. NHG aufgeben, Du. opgeven, Swed. ge upp) yield up (att'd) agive (obs. att'd, from OE agiefan, cf. NHG ergeben) |
| reluctant | adj | pullbackish, chary (att'd),unwilling, loath |
| remain | vb | blive [past blove, ppt bliven] (OE belifan, cf. NHG bleiben, Du. blijven), bide, linger, beleft (calque of German bleiben) |
| remainder | n | lave |
| remains | n | ashes, body, dead body, lich, bones; leftovers, leavings, scraps, waste, sweepings, dust; afterglow |
| remedy | n | heelth, salve, boot (etymology 3 ) |
| remember(recall) | vb | edcall, man [modal verb conjugated like can] (<OE munan), mind back, call to mind, bethink |
| remember(store memory) | vb | bear in mind, keep in mind |
| remember(memorise) | vb | inmind, put to mind, cram |
| reminisce | vb | look back |
| remnant | n | leftover |
| remote | adj | outlying |
| remove | vb | foredo (with immaterial object), outtake, take out, astir, stir, draw, unsheath, |
| renaissance | n | gainbirth, newbirth, edbirth, widderbirth, witherbirth |
| renal | adj | kidney |
| render | vb | make, give, forswear, yield |
| renew | vb | ednew (<OE edniwian) |
| renewal | n | ednewing (<OE edniwung) |
| renewed | adj | ednew (<OE edniwe) |
| renounce | vb | give up, forsake, yield, asake, offgive, say down (seperable), offsib (<Ic. af-sifja) |
| renovate | vb | ednew (<OE edniwian), do up |
| renovation | n | ednewing (<OE edniwung) |
| repartee | n | wit, banter |
| repeat | vb | edledge (<OE edlǽcan), againen |
| repel | vb | ward off, put off, withdrive |
| repent | vb | forthink (cited by William Tyndale), after-think (Lancashire dialect), be sorry, wit one's wrongdoing, berue |
| repercussions | vb | aftermath, blowback, kickback |
| repetition | n | edledging (<OE edlǽcung), againening, gainsaylyth, gaindolyth, dailiness (monotonous), witherhauling (cf. German "Wiederholung") |
| replace | vb | right (<OE rihtan), insteaden |
| replenish | vb | fill up, edfill |
| reply | vb | answer, andswear (<OE andswaru), andword (<OE andwyrd, cf. NHG Antwort, cf. Du. antwoord), andgain (cf. NHG entgegnen), edfold |
| report | n | edbear, telling |
| repose | n | rest |
| reprehensible | adj | forwarply (Calque of NHG verwerflich) |
| represent | vb | aspell, fortread (Cf. NHG vertreten) |
| representative | n | aspellend, aspeller,fortreader (Cf. NHG Vertreter), spokes(wo)man, forstander, foranswerer |
| repress | vb | quell, crush, thrutch down (OE þryccan) lord, trample, keep under, ride roughshod over, |
| reprimand | vb | upbraid, tell off |
| reprove | vb | forwite, threep or threap (OE þréapan) scold, upbraid, chide |
| represent | vb | stand for, foranswer |
| reproach | vb | upbraid, scold |
| reptile | n | creepdeer (cf Nor. krypdyr), crawldeer (cf Swed. kräldjur) |
| republic | n | kinwise (<OE cynewise), leedwealth (Cf. Icelandish and Faroish lýðveldi), commonwealth ("Common" is Latin), folkdom, folkrike |
| reputation | n | name, goodname, goodbearing, edwite |
| request | n | bid, prayer, asking |
| request | vb | bidding, ask, beseech, ask for |
| require | vb | need, tharf |
| requirement | n | need, must, needbetharfness, neddtharfliness, beedbehovedness |
| rescribe | vb | write back, edwrite |
| rescue | vb | free, anery (OE ánerian, NHG nähren), ner, redd |
| research | n | afterspeering, speering, forshing (Cf. NHG Forschung < PG faurskon), forshening (cf. Dan. forskning), legwork (informal) |
| research | vb | speer after, forsh (Cf. NHG forschen < PG faurskon), forshen |
| resmblance | n | likeness, look, blee, bly |
| resemble | adj | seem like, look like |
| resentment | n | bitterness, ill-feeling, hattleness |
| reservation | n | booking |
| reservation | n | misgiving |
| reserve | n | backlog |
| reserve | vb | back-up |
| reserve | vb | book, keep |
| reserve | adj | spare |
| reserved | adj | withdrawn |
| reside | vb | live, dwell, abide, wone, erde, wick |
| residence | n | home, dwelling, abode, erding, erdingstow |
| residue | n | stufflave |
| resign | vb | guit |
| resilience | adj | doughty |
| resist | vb | withset, withlay, withstand, hinder |
| resistance | n | withsetting, withlaying,backlash, underground |
| resolute | adj | doughty, steadfast, unbending, stithe (OE stith) anrede |
| resort | vb | betake |
| respect | n | heed, edsight |
| respond | vb | answer |
| response | n | answer, feedback |
| responsible | adj | trustworthy, upstanding, steady, sound, guilty, answerly, answerable |
| responsive | adj | quick, awake, sharp, open-minded, quick-minded, willing, soft-hearted |
| rest | n | lave |
| restart | vb | start anew |
| restaurant | n | mealhouse, mealstead, mealery |
| restoration | n | ednewing (<OE edniwung) |
| restore | vb | ednew (<OE edniwian), edstaddle |
| restored to life | pt phr | edquick (<OE edcwic) |
| restrain | vb | hold back, fetter, athold |
| restraint | n | holding back, fetter, selfwield, tautness |
| result | n | outfollow, outcome, upshot, aftermath, offleading (<Ic. af-leiðing) |
| resurrect | vb | gainrise (att'd Cheke), edstige |
| resurrection | n | gainrising (att'd Cheke) |
| retail | vb | fordrive (Calque of NHG vertreiben) |
| retain | vb | withkeep, keep, athave |
| retaliate | vb | hit back, strike back |
| retard | n | dimwit, dolt, dullard, dwease |
| retard | vb | laten, slow, stunt |
| retardation | n | slowing, latening |
| retardation | n | backwardness, beslowedness |
| retirement | n | elderhood |
| retort | n | comeback, wisecrack, backanswer |
| retract | vb | take back, withdraw |
| retreat | vb | withdraw |
| retrograde | adj | backward |
| return | n | gainfare (<OE geanfær), gainwhurvenness (<OE geanhworfennes), gainwhurf (<OE geanhwurf), whirftness (<OE gehwyrftnes), homecoming, comeback, backfare, two-way |
| return | vb | come back, edwend, aftcome |
| reveal | v | yondshow, make known, show, give up, bring to light, unhele, swettle |
| revel | vb | bask, wallow, frolic |
| revelry | n | merry-making |
| revenant | n | dreg (OE dréag) |
| revenge | vb | yieldback, get back, get even with |
| revere | vb | worship |
| reverence | n | blessed awe |
| reverie | n | daydream, sweven |
| reverse/reversal | n | setback, blow |
| revert | vb | backtrack, edwharve |
| revive | vb | edquick(en) (<OE edcwician), liven through, awaken, quicken, inliven, bring to, aquick, forquick, give life to, bring back to life, edlifen |
| revolution | n | whirft (<OE hwyrft), overhaul, overthrow, overthrowing, uprising |
| revolve | vb | spin, imbwharve |
| reward | n | getting(s), meed, gainyield, afterleen (<OE æfterléan), aftergift |
| reward | vb | meet (pt: meeted), afterloan (<OE léanian), aftergive, edloan (<OE edléan) |
| rhetoric | n | redekith (Calque of Dutch redekunde), wordcraft, mathelcraft |
| rhinoceros | n | nosehorn (calque of Greek rhinokeros (rhinos "nose" + keras "horn"), hornpig, hornhog, hornswine |
| rhythm | n | riff |
| ridiculous | adj | laughable |
| rifle | n | scratchgun, shattergun |
| righteous | adj | rightwise (<OE rihtwís) |
| righteousness | n | rightwiseness (<OE rihtwísnes) |
| rigid | adj | stiff, hard |
| rigorous | adj | thorough |
| riot | n | crowdburst |
| risk | n | gamble, long shot |
| river | n |
ea (OE) brook (<OE broc) waterway burn, bourn (<OE burna) fleet ("estuary" <OE fleotan) flood (<OE flod) rindle ("gutter" <OE rynele), runnell run stream (OE) waterstream (<OE wæterstream) |
| rite | n | aright (<OE gerihte), onsayedness (<OE onsægednes) |
| river course | n | gang |
| rivulet | n | beck, brooklet, stream, runlet, runnel, rith, sike |
| robin | n | ruddock |
| robot | n | gearbeing, clockwork being |
| robust | adj | strong, sinewy, hale, halesome, hearty, sound, doughty, fit, full-blooded, full-blooded, full-strength, hardy, healthy, mighty, red-blooded, stout, strong-willed |
| rock | n | stone |
| rocket | n | rock, rocker (O.H.G. rocko "distaff," O.N. rokkr) |
| role | n | playwork, deedwork |
| roll | vb | onspin |
| roman | adj | romish |
| romanticism | n | lovecraft, storm-and-throng-troth (cf. Highdutch Sturm und Drang) |
| rooster | n | cock, cockerel, rooster |
| rose (flower) | n | loveblossom, lovebloom |
| rotate | vb | spin |
| rotund | adj | wheelshaped |
| round | adj | wheelshaped, trind (shaped from OE 'trinda' and NE 'trindle') |
| route | n | pathway |
| royal | adj | kingly, cweenly |
| royalty | n | kingship (att'd <OE cynescipe) |
| ruin | vb & n | wreck, mar, downfall |
| rule | vb | lead, look over, oversee, phr to have lordship over, oversee, hold sway |
| ruler | n | leader, overseer, baldor |
| rumour | n | hearsay |
| rural | adj | outburg, fieldly |
| rush | n & vb |
hurry, shind |
| Russia | name | Russland (cf. NHG Russland, Du. Rusland) |
| Russian | adj | Russish (cf. NHG Russisch), Russlandish |
| Russian | n | Russ (cf. NHG Russe), Russlander |
| rustic | n | backwoodsman, boor, bumpkin, bushwhacker, clodhopper, churl, crofter, greenhorn, heathen, hind, husbandman, hillbilly, ill-bred, low-man, plowman, ploughman, redneck, share-cropper, swain, woodsman, uncanny wight |