risk (English)

Where does "risk" come from?

The English noun 'risk' entered the language from Middle French 'risque', which came from Old Italian 'risco'[1]. This Italian term displaced the native Old English 'pleoh'[1]. The ultimate origins of the Italian root remain debated, with prominent theories pointing either to the Vulgar Latin form '*resecum' meaning 'that which cuts, rock, crag' derived from the Latin verb 'resecō', or to the Byzantine Greek form 'ῥιζικό' meaning 'sustenance obtained by a soldier through his own initiative, fortune' tracing back through Arabic 'رِزْق' and Middle Persian to Old Persian and Proto-Indo-European[1].

Open questions

The ultimate etymology of the Italian terms giving rise to the word is considered uncertain by most dictionaries, with competing theories ranging from Latin rock formations to Greek hazard terms and Arabic sustenance roots. [1]

Full etymology tree

risk (English), 'The probability of a negative outcome to a decision or event.'
- derived risque (English), 'Alternative form of risqué.'
  - inherited risque (Middle French)
    - borrowed risco (Old Italian)

Ancestors

*resecum (Latin)
reseco (Latin)
ῥιζικόν (Ancient Greek)
ῥίζα (Ancient Greek)
ܪܙܩܐ (Classical Syriac)
*lewk- (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

rischio (Italian)
risco (Portuguese)
riesgo (Spanish)

Descendants and derived words

assigned risk (English)
assumption of risk (English)
at any risk (English)
at one's own risk (English)
at risk (English)
at the risk of (English)
businessman's risk (English)
calculated risk (English)
country risk (English)
credit risk (English)
currency risk (English)
cyberrisk (English)

Sources

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris