English word random comes from Proto-Germanic *randijō, and later Old French (842-ca. 1400) randir (To gallop. To run; to run quickly or impetuously.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *randijō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| rant, rand | Frankish (frk) | |
| *rant | Frankish (frk) | |
| randir | Old French (842-ca. 1400) (fro) | To gallop. To run; to run quickly or impetuously. |
| randon | Old French (842-ca. 1400) (fro) | |
| raundon | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| random | English (en) | (figuratively, colloquial) An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence. [from 20thc.]. (mining) The direction of a rake-vein.. (obsolete) Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force. [14th-17thc.]. (obsolete) The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range. [16th-19thc.]. A roving motion; course [...] |
