Rodeo Means a Round-Up
A rodeo is a contest of cowboy skills. The Spanish word means a cattle round-up, from a verb meaning to surround.
A rodeo is a public contest of cowboy skills such as bull riding and roping. The Spanish word means a cattle round-up, from *rodear*, to surround or encircle, ultimately from Latin *rota*, a wheel. The event grew directly out of the work: when ranch hands gathered stock, informal competitions broke out, and the contest eventually outgrew the chore. The same Latin *rota* gives *rotate*, *round*, *roulette* and *control*, the last from a *contra-rotulus*, a counter-roll.
- A cowboy contest. *A summer rodeo.*
- A cattle round-up. *The rodeo of the herd.*
- Spanish — *rodear*, to surround. *The source.*
- Bull riding — a rodeo event. *Bull riding.*
- Latin — *rota*, a wheel. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | rodeo | A rodeo. |
| Plural | rodeos | Rodeos. |
| Spanish | rodeo | A round-up. |
| Spanish | rodear | To surround. |
| Latin | rota | A wheel. |
- The rodeo comes to town each July.Event.
- Rodeo means a round-up.Etymology.
- Rodear means to encircle.Spanish.
The rota family
- Rodeo — a circling round-up of cattle
- Rotate — to turn like a wheel
- Round — through French, from the same root
- Roulette — a little wheel
- Control — from *contra-rotulus*, a duplicate roll kept for checking
Spanish *rodeo*, a round-up, from *rodear*, to go round, from *rueda*, a wheel, from Latin *rota*.
What does rodeo mean in Spanish?
A cattle round-up, from rodear, to surround or encircle.
Is control related to a wheel?
Yes, indirectly. It comes from contra-rotulus, a duplicate roll kept for checking accounts, and rotulus is a little wheel or roll.