rummage
UK[ˈrʌmɪdʒ]US[ˈrʌmɪdʒ]
v
To search for something by moving things around in a careless or hurried way.
n
An act of searching for something in this way; a collection of miscellaneous old objects.
Etymology
The word 'rummage' originates from the French maritime verb 'arrumer', which itself derives from the Old French 'arrumer' or 'arumer', meaning 'to stow in a ship's hold'. This Old French term likely came from the Spanish 'arrumar', a variant of 'arrimar' meaning 'to stow, to bring close', which is of uncertain, possibly Germanic, origin. The modern English sense evolved logically from the specific nautical activity: to 'rummage' a ship's hold involved searching through and rearranging the cargo, often in a disorderly fashion. Over time, this specialized meaning broadened to describe any hurried or untidy search through a confined space or a collection of items, giving us the common abstract meaning used today.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. Its core form entered English as a nautical term from the French verb 'arrumer', meaning 'to stow cargo in a ship's hold'. The English form 'rummage' is a direct adaptation and reanalysis of this French term.
Examples
She had to rummage through her bag to find her keys.
A rummage in the attic turned up some old family photographs.
The annual church rummage sale is a great place to find second-hand books.