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Origin and history of rivulet

rivulet(n.)

"small stream or brook," 1580s, perhaps from Italian rivoletto, diminutive of rivolo, itself a diminutive of rivo "brook," from Latin rivus "stream, brook" (from PIE *reiwos "that which flows," from root *rei- "to run, flow"). For ending, see -let.

Entries linking to rivulet

diminutive noun-forming element, Middle English, from Old French -elet, which often is a double-diminutive. It consists of Old French diminutive -et, -ette (see -et) added to nouns in -el, which in many cases represents Latin diminutive -ellus; see -el (2)). "The formation did not become common until the 18th c." [OED].

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to flow, run."

It might form all or part of: derive; ember-days; rennet (n.1); Rhine; rialto; rill; rio; rival; rivulet; run; runnel.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit rinati "causes to flow," ritih "stream, course;" Latin rivus "stream;" Old Church Slavonic reka "river;" Middle Irish rian "river, way;" Gothic rinnan "run, flow," rinno "brook;" Middle Low German ride "brook;" Old English riþ "stream;" Old English rinnan, Old Norse rinna "to run," Dutch ril "running stream."

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