† romyv.

Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic róma to give assent by shouting, rómr voice, shout, cheering), of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Old Icelandic remja ‘to roar’ and its Scandinavian cognates (see the note at rame v.²). Compare earlier reme v. and later rummish v.However, this explanation leaves unexplained why the alpha forms, on this assumption apparently reflecting assimilation to the old second class of weak verbs (compare -y suffix²), should predominate in a word apparently of northern or eastern origin. It also provides no satisfactory explanation for the γ. forms, unless they show northern raising of Middle English close ō (compare R. Jordan Handb. der mittelenglischen Grammatik (1934) §54). Compare also rummish v. Alternatively, N.E.D. (1909) suggests a borrowing < an unattested Old French form *romir or *rumir (compare later rummish v., which could show a borrowing < the lengthened stem romiss- of such a verb). However, this seems unlikely, given that Anglo-Norman romir to roar (beginning of the 14th cent. in an apparently isolated attestation in a glossary which is largely dependent on Bibbesworth, the source cited in quot. a1325) is probably < English, and is unparalleled in continental French. Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Reum v. compares the Middle English verb with Older Scots (rare) reum to cry, roar (c1420), tentatively suggesting a connection of both verbs with classical Latin rūmōr- , rūmor rumour n.