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ruck·sack

(rŭksăk′, rk-)

A knapsack.

[German : dialectal Ruck, back (from Middle High German rück, ruck, from Old High German hrukki; see sker-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + Sack, sack (from Middle High German sac, from Old High German, from Latin saccus; see SACK¹).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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