Etymology

From earlier risque, from Middle French risque, from Italian risco ("risk"; > Modern Italian rischio) and Italian rischiare ("to run into danger"). Most dictionaries consider the etymology of these Italian terms uncertain, but some suggest they perhaps come from Latin *resicum ‎(“that which cuts, rock, crag”) (> Medieval Latin resicu), from Latin resecō ‎(“cut off, loose, curtail”, verb), in the sense of that which is a danger to boating or shipping; or from Ancient Greek ῥιζικόν ‎(rhizikón, “root, radical, hazard”).

A few dictionaries express more certainty. Collins says the Italian risco comes from Ancient Greek [Term?] ‎(“cliff”) due to the hazards of sailing along rocky coasts. The American Heritage says it probably comes from Medieval Greek riziko "sustenance obtained by a soldier through his own initiative, fortune", from Arabic rizq, "sustenance, that which God allots", from Syriac ruziqā, "daily bread", from Middle Iranian rōčig, from rōč, "day", from Old Iranian *raučah-, from the Indo-European root leuk-.

Cognate with Spanish riesgo, Portuguese risco

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ri‧si‧co