Etymology Map
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Raise

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means to lift or move to a higher position

Where does the word "raise" come from? It comes from Old Norse reisa, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
reisa
Old Norse · medieval
"to raise"
to make rise, the causative of 'rísa', to rise
2
Stage 2 of 3
reisen
Middle English · 1200s
"to raise"
borrowed alongside native 'rear', which comes from the same ancient root
3
Stage 3 of 3
raise
English · 1500s
"to lift"
'a raise' in pay is American, from the 1890s
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Read the full story

Raise’s story begins in Old Norse: reisa meant “to raise.” To make rise, the causative of 'rísa', to rise. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as reisen. Borrowed alongside native 'rear', which comes from the same ancient root. It reached English by 1500s as raise. 'a raise' in pay is American, from the 1890s. Today, raise means to lift or move to a higher position.