Rushes
/ˈrʌʃɪz/noun
Plural of rush; a fast, hurried movement or the tufted wetland plants of the genus Juncus.
Did you know?The plant-name sense of rush comes from Old English *risc* / *rysc*, while the “hurry” sense comes from a different root entirely, so the same modern spelling hides two separate histories.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂er- / *reus-
“A separate prehistory is usually reconstructed for the speed/force sense, with the exact deep root debated in scholarship.”
Old English
OE
rysce / risc
“A rush plant growing in wet ground.”
Middle English
ME
rusche / rushen
“To hurry, dash, or move violently; also the plant name continued in dialects.”
14th–15th Century
English
rush
“A sudden violent movement or a rapid charge; also the wetland plant.”
Modern English
English
rushes
“Plural of rush; also the present-tense verb form meaning moves quickly or acts in haste.”