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Origin and history of rowdy

rowdy(n.)

"a rough, quarrelsome person," 1808, originally "lawless backwoodsman," "Of American, but otherwise quite obscure, origin" [OED]. Perhaps from row (n.2) "noisy commotion" (itself of uncertain origin). The adjective, "having the manners of or conducting oneself like a rowdy, rough and noisy," is attested by 1819. Related: Rowdily; rowdiness; rowdyism.

also from 1808

Entries linking to rowdy

row(n.2)

"noisy commotion," 1746, Cambridge student slang, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to rousel "drinking bout" (c. 1600), a shortened form of carousal. Klein suggests a back-formation from rouse (n.), mistaken as a plural (compare pea from pease).

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    Trends of rowdy

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    tough
    Old English toh "strong and firm in texture, tenacious, sticky," from Proto-Germanic *tanhu- (source also of Middle Low German tege, Middle Dutch taey, Dutch taai, Old High German zach, German zäh), which Watkins suggests is from PIE *denk- "to bite," from the notion of "holding
    ruffian
    1530s, "a boisterous, brutal fellow, one ready to commit any crime," from French rufian "a pimp" (15c.), from Italian ruffiano "a pander, pimp," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Germanic source related to rough (adj.), but Dutch roffiaan, German Ruffian are said to be from Fre
    raucous
    "hoarse, harsh or croaking in sound," 1769, with -ous + Latin raucus "hoarse" (also source of French rauque, Spanish ronco, Italian rauco), from or related to ravus "hoarse," from Proto-Italic *rawo-, from PIE echoic base *reu- "to roar, make hoarse cries" (source also of Sanskri
    rough
    The meaning "a rowdy" is attested by 1837, but Century Dictionary calls this perhaps rather an abbreviation of ruffian conformed...
    shindig
    "a dance, a ball; rowdy party, lively gathering," 1851, U.S. colloquial, probably from earlier slang shindy "a spree, row...
    spree
    "a lively frolic, rowdy drinking bout," 1804, slang or colloquial, earliest in Scottish dialect works, a word of uncertain...
    hoodlum
    popularized 1871, American English, (identified throughout the 1870s as "a California word") "young street rowdy, loafer,...
    ought
    Old English ahte "owned, possessed," past tense of agan "to own, possess; owe" (see owe). As a past tense of owe, it shared in that word's evolution and meant at times in Middle English "possessed" and "under obligation to pay." It has been detached from owe since 17c., though he
    muscle
    "contractible animal tissue consisting of bundles of fibers," late 14c., "a muscle of the body," from Latin musculus "a muscle," literally "a little mouse," diminutive of mus "mouse" (see mouse (n.)). So called because the shape and movement of some muscles (notably biceps) were
    boy
    mid-13c., boie "servant, commoner, knave" (generally young and male); c. 1300, "rascal, ruffian, knave; urchin," mid-14c. as "male child before puberty" (possibly extended from the "urchin" sense). A word of unknown origin. Possibly from Old French embuie "one fettered," from Vul

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