An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Rost

by Friedrich Kluge

Rost (1.), m., ‘grate, gridiron,’ from MidHG. rôst, m., ‘grate, funeral pile, glow, fire,’ OHG. rôst, m., rôsta, f., ‘small gridiron, frying-pan,’ The current derivation from Rohr, in which case we should have to assume ‘iron grating’ as the primit. sense of Rost, does not satisfy the meaning (OHG. rôstpfanna, MidHG. rôstpfannue). Derivative rösten, ‘to roast, broil,’ MidHG. rœsten, OHG. rôsten, ‘to lay on the gridiron, roast’; hence the Rom. cognates, Ital. arrostir, ‘to roast,’ Fr. rôtir, and from this again comes E. to roast.

Rost (2.), m., ‘rust, mildew, blight,’ from MidHG. and OHG. rost, m., ‘rust, aerugo, rubigo’; corresponding to the equiv. OSax. rost, Du. roest, AS. rûst, E. rust (Scotch roost), For Goth. *rū̆sta-, ‘rust,’ nidwa, f., was used. Rost belongs to the Teut. root rū̆d (pre-Teut. rudh), ‘to be red,’ appearing in ModHG. rot. From the same root was formed the equiv. OHG. rosamo, which assumed early in MidHG. the meaning ‘freckle,’ as well as OIc. ryð, n., MidHG. rot, m. and n., OSlov. rŭzda (for rudja), f., Lith. rûdis (rudė́ti, ‘to rust’), Lat. robigo, ‘rust’; also Lett. rûsa, ‘rust,’ rusta, ‘brown colour.’