Etymograph

English

ravelin

Ravelin comes from Italian rivellino, and goes back to Proto-Italic *wre- ‘again’.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-1‘again’reconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Italianc. 1300–presentrivellino2
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentravelin2
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1659ravelin2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin re-, which cites OED
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English ravelin
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1659, Laurence Sterne: “I think, quoth Corporal Trim, with humble submission to…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wre-Wiktionary, Latin re-, which cites OED‘again’reconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Italianc. 1300–presentrivellinoWiktionary, English ravelin
  3. Frenchc. 1600–presentravelinWiktionary, English ravelin
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1659ravelinWiktionary, English ravelin. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1659, Laurence Sterne: “I think, quoth Corporal Trim, with humble submission to…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *wre- ‘again’

require, rescue, reverse, rely, remark, reminiscent, revoke, reciprocal, reciprocate, repellent, repulse, refrigerate, regurgitate, rappel, 14 more

Today it means

noun A kind of outwork; a freestanding, wedge-shaped fortification used to split an attacking force as they approach a larger fortress.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ravelin”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin re-. 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 / Proto-Italic *wre- / ravelin

Shirt and support for this word