English
rogue
Rogue may come from English roger ‘a begging vagabond who pretends to be a poor…’.
- English1500–presentroger1‘a begging vagabond who pretends to be a poor scholar from Oxford or Cambridge’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599rogue1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English rogue, which cites OED
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “Ah, you sweet little rogue, you!”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- English1500–presentrogerWiktionary, English rogue, which cites OED‘a begging vagabond who pretends to be a poor scholar from Oxford or Cambridge’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599rogueWiktionary, English rogue, which cites OED. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “Ah, you sweet little rogue, you!”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to stretch out’
right, real, director, source, region, rule, direction, address, direct, rich, correct, dress, regular, royal, rank, regime, arrangement, radar, arrange, rack, ana, rex, roy, resurrection, regulate, raj, erect, regent, rake, rector, regal, regency, insurrection, rectify, anorexia, rani, rectum, rajah, rhesus, rectification, 104 more
through Latin rogō ‘to ask’
arrogant, interrogation, arrogance, derogatory, prerogative, derogation, 14 more
Today it means
noun A scoundrel, rascal or unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “rogue”. 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 / English roger / rogue