Rok (year)

Rok (year) is related to the English verb ‘to roar’, as in ‘to roar like a lion’. Rok actually derives from another common Czech verb říct (to say / to tell) which is where we get the connection to ‘roar’.

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The Etymological Tree:

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Rok ↔ Roar Connection:

Rok (year) is related to the English verb ‘to roar’, as in ‘to roar like a lion’. Rok actually derives from another common Czech verb říct (to say / to tell) which is where we get the connection to ‘roar’.

From Říct to Rok:

Rok (year) actually derives from the verb říct (to say) and it was originally used to refer to something that was said and agreed upon. This connection is more obvious in a word like výrok which means ‘statement’, ‘verdict’ or ‘utterance’.

Rok was then applied to an arbitrary, agreed upon period of time. This period of time was used in legal proceedings which slowly took on the form of a more specific 12-month period of time, i.e. a year. Before then, summer (léto) and spring (jaro) were used to denote the year.

This is not the only legal connection, as rok is also present in the verb odročit which means ‘to adjourn’ a court, literally od- (to move away from) + ročit (rok - talks). We also have the verb rokovat which means ‘to hold talks’ or ‘to debate’.

The Relation to Roar:

The English connection comes through říct to the Proto-Indo-European *rei- or *rey- and then back down the Germanic branch to the English roar.

Both the English and the Czech verbs diverge from the original meaning (although English is admittedly closer) but they obviously have something to do with vocalising a sound or words. Incidentally, these words are also connected to the German word röhren (to roar), as well as many other similar verbs in the Germanic branch.

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Derived Terms:

• roční / yearly, annual

• ročník / year of schooling, grade

• rokovat, rokování / to hold talks, negotiate, discuss

• odročit / to adjourn (to step back from talks)