entry
race
/reɪs/Contest of speed; lineage, kind, or category
From Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁s- (to flow or rush) + Italian razza (kind).
from Proto-Germanic *res- (source also of Middle Dutch rasen "to rave, rage," German rasen , Old English raesettan "to...
+1 more sourcefrom Old Norse rās "a running, a rush (of water)," cognate with Old English ræs "a running, a rush, a leap, jump; a...
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English race, partially
from Italian razza (early 14th century), of uncertain origin. Partially displaced native Middle English kinde (“kind,...
from Middle English race, partially
from Middle English race, partially
Word Ancestry
from Proto-Germanic *res- (source also of Middle Dutch rasen "to rave, rage," German rasen , Old English raesettan "to...
+1 more sourcefrom Old Norse rās "a running, a rush (of water)," cognate with Old English ræs "a running, a rush, a leap, jump; a...
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English race, partially
from Italian razza (early 14th century), of uncertain origin. Partially displaced native Middle English kinde (“kind,...
from Middle English race, partially
from Middle English race, partially
Two different currents run through race, and they only look like one word because English enjoys hiding its paperwork. The older one began as a rush of water or people: Old Norse rás could describe a racing stream, while related Germanic words wandered toward “rage,” as though speed and fury were siblings. By about 1510, English had turned that rushing motion into a contest, and by 1825 it could even describe an electoral race—another course with winners, losers, and a crowd shouting from the banks. The lineage sense arrived by a different route, through Italian razza and Middle French race in the sixteenth century, partly displacing native English kind and kin. That second sense is connected with the ancient family of words behind Latin genus and English kin, while race itself remains uncertainly related to Italian razza’s deeper origin. So when someone says “the race is on,” picture a rushing stream; when they say “a race of horses,” picture a genealogist’s ledger—the same spelling, two historical roads.
The Story
Two different currents run through race, and they only look like one word because English enjoys hiding its paperwork. The older one began as a rush of water or people: Old Norse rás could describe a racing stream, while related Germanic words wandered toward “rage,” as though speed and fury were siblings. By about 1510, English had turned that rushing motion into a contest, and by 1825 it could even describe an electoral race—another course with winners, losers, and a crowd shouting from the banks. The lineage sense arrived by a different route, through Italian razza and Middle French race in the sixteenth century, partly displacing native English kind and kin. That second sense is connected with the ancient family of words behind Latin genus and English kin, while race itself remains uncertainly related to Italian razza’s deeper origin. So when someone says “the race is on,” picture a rushing stream; when they say “a race of horses,” picture a genealogist’s ledger—the same spelling, two historical roads.
Modern Usage
In poker, a “race” is an all-in situation whose outcome depends on the cards rather than further betting.
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entry describing an all-in poker race
Kin & Kindred
From '*h₁reh₁s-'·to flow or rush
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'razza'·kind, type, lineage, or breed
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary