Ralph

See also:ralph

English

Alternative forms

• (surname):Rawle

Etymology

FromMiddle EnglishRadulf,fromOld EnglishRǣdwulf(also asRaulf), fromProto-West Germanic*Rādawulf,fromProto-Germanic*Rēdawulfaz.Reinforced by similar forms brought to England, e.g.Old NorseRáðúlfr,then in the Norman formOld FrenchRadulf,Radulph.For the sense relating to vomiting, seeralph.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ɹælf/
  • Rhymes:-ælf

  • Audio(US):

    (file)

• (older UK)IPA^(key):/ɹeɪf/
  • Rhymes:-eɪf

Proper noun

Ralph

1. A malegiven namefrom the Germanic languages.
   • c.1590–1592(date written),William Shakespeare,“The Taming of the Shrew”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene i]:

     There were none fine but Adam,Ralph,and Gregory: / The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly

   • 1998The Spectator,7 March 1998, page 55 ( "Dear Mary..." ):

     Regarding the correct pronunciation, especially of the nameRalph:according to a friend at the BBC, the possibilities of this name - either aristocratic 'Rafe' or vulgar, almost Australasian 'Ralff' - lie in its potential for wilful mispronunciation against type. I saw him cast confusion into an over-confident studio guest by introducing him as 'Sir Rafe Halpern'. This was nothing to the consternation, almost disintegration of the personality, of the artistic, aloof actor brought on as 'Rolf Fiennes' ('Fiennes', naturally, pronounced superbly).

2. Asurnameoriginating as a patronymic.
3. (slang)Fictional person used in references tovomiting.

   He's outside callingRalph[i.e. vomiting].

4. An unincorporated community inHarding County,South Dakota,United States.
5. An unincorporated community inWebster County,West Virginia,United States.

Derived terms

• talk to Ralph on the big white telephone

Translations

male given name

• Arabic:رَالْف(rālf)
• Bengali:র্যালফ(royaloph)
• Bulgarian:Ралф(Ralf)
• Catalan:Raül(ca)m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Lạp nhĩ phu／Lạp nhĩ phu(Lā'ěrfū)

• Danish:Ralf
• Esperanto:Rolfo
• Estonian:Raul
• Finnish:Rauli(fi)
• French:Raoul(fr)
• Georgian:რალფი(ralpi),რაული(rauli),რუდოლფი(rudolpi)
• German:Ralf(de)
• Greek:Ραλφ(el)(Ralf)
• Hebrew:ראלף(ralf)
• Italian:Raulm
• Japanese:ラルフ(rarufu)
• Korean:랄프(ralpeu)
• Latvian:Ralfsm
• Lithuanian:Ralfas
• Persian:رالف(râlf)
• Polish:Ralf(pl)m
• Portuguese:Raul(pt)
• Russian:Ральф(ru)(Ralʹf)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:Ралфm

  Roman:Ralfm

• Spanish:Raúl(es)
• Swedish:Ralf,Rolf(sv)
• Thai:ราล์ฟ(râaf)
• Ukrainian:Ральф(Ralʹf)

Anagrams

• Prahl

German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Ralph

1. a malegiven namefrom English, a less common variant ofRalf