Etymograph

English

rather

Rather comes from Old English hraþe ‘soon, early, fast’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150hraþe1‘soon’
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150hraþor1comparative of hraþe
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rather1
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1683rather1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English rather
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1683, John Dryden, Plutarch's Lives: Life of Pompey: “Pompey, being elated and filled with confidence by this…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150hraþeWiktionary, English rather‘soon’
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150hraþorWiktionary, English rathercomparative of hraþe
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ratherWiktionary, English rather
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1683ratherWiktionary, English rather. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1683, John Dryden, Plutarch's Lives: Life of Pompey: “Pompey, being elated and filled with confidence by this…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kret- ‘to shake, move suddenly’

hard, bureaucracy, bureaucratic, aristocracy, bureaucrat, 45 more

Today it means

adv Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than)

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “rather”. 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 / Old English hraþe / rather

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