Etymology: Origin uncertain and disputed. It is possible that the two quotations show two different words. Middle Eng. Dict. considers quot. c1440 to be an example of ridge n.¹, suggesting ‘the high point of Fortune's wheel’ as a possible interpretation. Middle Eng. Dict. also considers quot. 1591 to be an example of ridge n.¹ with the sense ‘back’ (see ridge n.¹ 1a). With regard to both quots. the suggestion of Middle Eng. Dict. that rog may be a variant of ridge n.¹ poses phonological difficulties, since neither the suggested headword nor similar words beginning with rig- have variants with medial -o- , with the exception of riggold n. (compare the 19th-cent. English regional (Shropshire) form roggel at that entry). Alternatively, E. Björkman's edition (1915) of Morte Arthure emends the instance in quot. c1440 to roo (see roo n.¹), implying a transmission error. For quot. 1591, R. M. Lumiansky and D. Mills, in their edition of the play (EETS SS 9, 1986), suggest that the word may be a vocative use of (otherwise later) rogue n., and the preceding word thus an instance of thee pron., although if so, the apparently short vowel suggested by the rhyme with dogge dog n.¹ is difficult to explain (although compare rogge , rare variant of rogue n.).

Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps a variant (with specific semantic development from ‘to tear, pull’ to ‘to shake’) of rug v.¹ (compare forms and see discussion at that entry). Perhaps compare Norwegian regional rogga to set in motion, drive on, rogg energy. Compare also rock v.¹

Etymology: Shortened < roger int.