Etymology
1. 1377, perhaps related to E.Fris.
rubben "to scratch, rub," and Low Ger.
rubbeling "rough, uneven," or similar words in Scandinavian (cf. Dan.
rubbe "to rub, scrub," Norw.
rubba), of uncertain origin. Hamlet's
there's the rub (1602) preserves a noun sense of "obstacle, inequality on ground" first recorded 1586 and common in 17c. To
rub (someone) the wrong way is from 1883. To
rub noses in greeting as a sign of friendship (attested from 1822) formerly was common among Eskimos, Maoris, and some other Pacific Islanders.
Rub out "obliterate" is from 1567; underworld slang sense of "kill" is recorded from 1848, Amer.Eng.
Rub off "have an influence on" is recorded from 1959.
2. Inherited from Middle English rubben, of unknown origin; possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną, related to *reufaną (“to tear”).
3. Cognate with Saterland Frisian rubje (“to rub, scrape”), German Low German rubben (“to rub”), Low German rubblig (“rough, uneven”), Dutch robben, rubben (“to rub smooth; scrape; scrub”), Danish rubbe (“to rub, scrub”), Icelandic and Norwegian rubba (“to scrape”).
4. More at reave.
5. Compare typologically Latin fricō < friō < Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- (whence also Russian брить (britʹ, “to shave”)). See: Middle English '
rubben', Middle English '
rubben', Frisian, Saterlandic 'rubje', Dutch '
robben', Danish '
rubbe'.
Verbs referencing "rub"
Manx
rub, Swedish
rubba, Frisian, Saterlandic rubje, Welsh
rhwbio.