rear

英文词源

rear

rear: There are two separate words rear in English. The older, ‘raise’ [OE], is a descendant of prehistoric Germanic *raizjan, which also produced Old Norse reisa, source of English raise. The Germanic verb denoted literally ‘cause to rise’, and was derived from *reisan, which evolved into English rise. Rear ‘hind’ [16] is descended ultimately from Latin retrō- ‘behind’, but it is not clear whether it came into the language as an abbreviation of arrear [18], which goes back via Old French arere to medieval Latin adretrō ‘to the rear’ (the Anglo- Norman noun areres existed in the 14th century, so the chronological disparity may not be crucial), or was extracted from rearguard [15], a borrowing from Old French rereguarde.
=> raise, rise; arrear, retro

rear (n.)

"hindmost part," c. 1600, abstracted from rerewarde "rear guard, hindmost part of an army or fleet" (mid-14c.), from Anglo-French rerewarde, Old French rieregarde, from Old French adverb riere "behind" (from Latin retro "back, behind;" see retro-) + Old French garde (see guard (n.)). Or the word may be a shortened form of arrear (see arrears).

As a euphemism for "buttocks" it is attested from 1796. Rear admiral is first attested 1580s, apparently so called from ranking "behind" an admiral proper. Rear-view (mirror) is recorded from 1926.

rear (v.1)

Old English ræran "to raise, build up, create, set on end; arouse, excite, stir up," from Proto-Germanic *raizijanau "to raise," causative of *risanan "to rise" (see raise (v.)). Meaning "bring into being, bring up" (as a child) is recorded from early 15c.; that of "raise up on the hind legs" is first recorded late 14c. Related: Reared; rearing.

rear (adj.)

c. 1300, from Old French rere (see rear (n.)).

rear (v.2)

"attack in the rear," 17c., from rear (n.).