English word rue comes from Proto-Indo-European *krow-, and later Old English hreowan (To grieve. To repent. To rue.)

You can also see our other etymologies for the English word rue. Currently you are viewing the etymology of rue with the meaning: (Verb) (archaic, intransitive) To feel compassion or pity.. (archaic, intransitive) To feel sorrow or regret.. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to feel sorrow or pity.. (obsolete, transitive) To cause [...](archaic, intransitive) To feel compassion or pity.. (archaic, intransitive) To feel sorrow or regret.. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to feel sorrow or pity.. (obsolete, transitive) To cause [...]

Detailed word origin of rue

Dictionary entry	Language	Definition
*krow-	Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro)
*hriwwijaną	Proto-Germanic (gem-pro)
hreowan	Old English (ang)	To grieve. To repent. To rue.
hryggva	Old Norse (non)
hrēowan	Old English (ang)
reowen	Middle English (enm)
rue	English (eng)	(archaic, intransitive) To feel compassion or pity.. (archaic, intransitive) To feel sorrow or regret.. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to feel sorrow or pity.. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to repent of sin or regret some past action.. (transitive) To repent of or regret (some past action or event); to wish that a past action or event had not taken place.

Words with the same origin as rue