rapture: [17] Rapture is one of a large family of English words that go back ultimately to Latin rapere ‘seize by force’. Its past participle was raptus (source of English rapt [14]), which formed the basis of the medieval Latin noun raptūra ‘seizure’, hence ‘ecstasy’ – whence English rapture. From the same source come rapacious [17], rape ‘violate sexually’, rapid, rapine [15], ravage, ravenous, ravine, ravish, surreptitious, and usurp. => rapacious, rape, rapid, ravage, ravenous, ravine, ravish, surreptitious, usurp
rapture (n.)
c. 1600, "act of carrying off," from Middle French rapture, from Medieval Latin raptura "seizure, rape, kidnapping," from Latin raptus "a carrying off, abduction, snatching away; rape" (see rapt). Earliest attested use in English is of women and in 17c. it sometimes meant rape (v.), which word is a cognate of this. Sense of "spiritual ecstasy, state of mental transport" first recorded c. 1600 (raptures).
rapture (v.)
1630s, from rapture (n.). Related: Raptured; rapturing.
