raquete (Portuguese)

Where does "raquete" come from?

The Portuguese noun 'raquete', meaning a racket or snowshoe, was borrowed from the French word 'raquette'[1]. The French term itself was inherited from Middle French forms like 'rachette' and 'requette'[2]. These French origins possibly stem from the Arabic phrase 'rāḥat al-yad' meaning 'palm', or alternatively from a variant of the verb 'rachasser' meaning 'to chase back or hit back'[2].

Open questions

• The derivation of the French term from Arabic or from a variant of 'rachasser' is considered a possibility rather than a certainty. [2]

Full etymology tree

• raquete (Portuguese), 'racket (implement with a frame used to hit a ball)'
  • borrowed raquette (French), 'racket'
    • inherited rachette (Middle French)
      • derived رَاحَةْ اليَد (rāḥat al-yad) (Arabic)

Ancestors

• raquette (French)

Descendants and derived words

• raquetada (Portuguese)
• raquete elétrica (Portuguese)

Sources

1. raquete (Portuguese) - Wiktionary
2. raquette (French) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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