Rigging
/ˈrɪɡ.ɪŋ/noun
The ropes, cables, and hardware used to support and control a ship's masts or a stage/camera setup.
Did you know?The word comes from the same old Germanic root as *rig*, meaning to arrange or equip, and in nautical history the “rigging” was literally the ship’s body of control lines—its invisible power system.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*reiganą
“to tie, fasten, or equip”
Old Norse
ON
reiða
“to prepare, furnish, or rig out”
Middle English
English
riggen
“to equip or fit out, especially a ship”
17th Century
English
rigging
“the ropes and gear used to support and work a ship's masts”
Modern English
English
rigging
“the system of ropes, cables, and equipment used for support or control”