Etymograph

English

arraign

Arraign comes from Middle English areynen ‘to interrogate, arraign, reprimand’, from Old French araisnier ‘to address (someone)’, and perhaps ultimately from Latin reor ‘to compute’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreor1‘to compute’uncertain
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEratio2as ratiō‘reason, reasoning, explanation, ground, motive, rationality, rationale, purpose’uncertain
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400reson3as raison‘logic, logical reasoning’uncertain
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400araisnier4‘to address (someone)’
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400areiner4
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500areynen4‘to interrogate, arraign, reprimand’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1697arraign4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin ratio
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Old French reson
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Old French araisnier
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English arraign, which cites OED
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1697, Virgil, (please specify the book number): “They will not dare to arraign you for want…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEreorWiktionary, Latin ratio‘to compute’uncertain
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEratioWiktionary, Old French resonas ratiō‘reason, reasoning, explanation, ground, motive, rationality, rationale, purpose’uncertain
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400resonWiktionary, Old French araisnieras raison‘logic, logical reasoning’uncertain
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400araisnierWiktionary, English arraign, which cites OED‘to address (someone)’
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400areinerWiktionary, English arraign, which cites OED
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500areynenWiktionary, English arraign, which cites OED‘to interrogate, arraign, reprimand’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1697arraignWiktionary, English arraign, which cites OED. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1697, Virgil, (please specify the book number): “They will not dare to arraign you for want…”

first attested First attested in the late 14th century (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in the late 14th century. About the -g- within the word, Etymonline and the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary both agree that it is present by hypercorrection and appears since the 16th century. The Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) and the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (1986) however, provides two etymological links each, which are Old French aragnier and araigner. The Oxford English Dictionary (1885, 1989) did not support either of these hypotheses, but did attribute Old French arraigner, arainer to an unrelated obsolete sense and etymon.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Latin reor ‘to compute’

rate, reasonable, rational, ration, irritate, ratify, 10 more

through Latin ratio ‘reason, reasoning, explanation, ground,…’

reason, ratio, 15 more

through Old French reson ‘logic, logical reasoning’

resound

Today it means

verb To officially charge someone in a court of law.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “arraign”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin ratio, Old French reson, Old French araisnier. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin reor / arraign

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