Etymology Map
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Roster

2 stages from Dutch to English.

Today it means a list of names and duties

Where does the word "roster" come from? It comes from Dutch rooster, adopted directly into English (1720s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
rooster
Dutch · 1600s
"gridiron"
a Dutch word for a grill; a list ruled with lines looked like one, so it also came to mean a list
2
Stage 2 of 2
roster
English · 1720s
"list of duties"
picked up from Dutch military usage; later any list of names and duties
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Read the full story

Roster’s story begins in Dutch: rooster meant “gridiron.” A Dutch word for a grill; a list ruled with lines looked like one, so it also came to mean a list. It reached English by 1720s as roster. Picked up from Dutch military usage; later any list of names and duties. Today, roster means a list of names and duties.