rug

Rug is probably of North Germanic origin, likely passed through Middle English *rugge, as hinted by Middle English words meaning 'hairy' or 'shaggy.' It traces back to Old Norse rǫgg, meaning 'shagginess' or 'tuft,' from Proto-Germanic *rawwō, meaning 'long wool.'

The word seems to have moved from describing shagginess or a tuft of coarse wool to naming the woven, often shaggy, floor covering we know today.

It's probably related to the Proto-Germanic root behind 'rough,' and it's cognate with English 'rag' — both threads leading back to the same tangled, coarse-fiber idea.