ragamuffin

ragamuffin

See also: Ragamuffin

English

WOTD – 1 July 2006

Etymology

From the Middle English Ragamuffyn. Of uncertain origin, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: A muffin is a poor thing of a creature, a ‘regular muff’; so that a ragamuffin is a sorry creature in rags.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹæɡəˌmʌfɪn/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

ragamuffin (plural ragamuffins)

1. A dirty, shabbily-clothed child; an urchin.
   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene iii], page 71:

     I haue led my rag of Muffins where they are pepper'd: there's not three of my 150 left aliue; and they for the Townes end, to beg during life.

   • 1868, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 47, in Little Women: Or, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, OCLC 30743985:

     “But may I inquire how you intend to support the establishment? If all the pupils are little ragamuffins, I’m afraid your crop won’t be profitable in a worldly sense, Mr. Bhaer.”

   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], OCLC 228733457:

     "They called her a little `blue' ragamuffin, father," said Harry, who ran in looking very angry; "but I have given it to them; they won't insult my sister again.

   • 1882, Mark Twain, chapter 12, in The Prince and the Pauper:

     'Yes, he is mine—I took him, a homeless little ragamuffin, but I saw what was in him, and I said his name would be heard some day—behold him, observe him—was I right?'

   • 1905, Upton Sinclair, chapter XVIII, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 26 February 1906, OCLC 1150866071:

     After walking a ways, Jurgis met a little ragamuffin whom he hailed: "Hey, sonny!"

   • 1916, John Buchan, chapter 15, in Greenmantle:

     He had found out the house of Frau von Einem without much trouble, and had performed with his ragamuffins in the servants' quarters.

   • 1984, Douglas Adams, chapter 21, in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), page 112:

     A boy of the cheery gypsy ragamuffin variety.

2. A breed of domestic cat which is an offshoot from the Ragdoll.

Usage notes

Currently this word is slang, often (but not always) used either for anachronistic effect or as dialogue in historical fiction.

Derived terms

• ragamuffinly

Translations

dirty, shabbily-clothed child

Bulgarian: у́личник (bg) m (úličnik), дри́пльо (bg) m (drípljo) Dutch: schooiertje (nl) n Finnish: resupekka (fi) German: Lumpenkind n Polish: obdartus (pl) m, łachmaniarz m Russian: оборва́нец (ru) m (oborvánec), голодра́нец (ru) m (golodránec) Spanish: arrapiezo

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “ragamuffin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

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Italian

Alternative forms

• raggamuffin

Etymology

Borrowed from English ragamuffin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ra.ɡaˈmaf.fin/
• Rhymes: -affin
• Hyphenation: ra‧ga‧mùf‧fin

Noun

ragamuffin m (uncountable)

1. (music) ragga

   Synonyms: raga, ragga

Further reading

• ragamuffin in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• ragamuffin in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication