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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Re: Origin of word Ruthless #1635 04/28/2000 11:41 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 460 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia paulb addict paulb addict Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 460 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia It's from the word ruth (Middle English = compassion, pity, sorrow, grief, distress etc). Interesting that ruthless (and ruthful) have survived but not the original word. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Origin of word Ruthless echo1111 04/27/2000 3:59 PM Re: Origin of word Ruthless tsuwm 04/27/2000 4:27 PM Re: Origin of word Ruthless paulb 04/28/2000 11:41 AM Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Flat Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,916 Posts230,380 Members9,211 Most Online7,006 Mar 7th, 2026 Newest Members Boo boo kitty fu, peterreineck, Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd 9,211 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 38 A C Bowden 17 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,206 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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