Probably from the root Proto-Indo-European *h₃rewk-. According to De Vaan, the root *h₃rewk- may have given rise to the nasal-infix verb *h₃runékti, which itself possibly gave rise to a noun or adjective Proto-Italic *runk-o-s. The verb runcō may have been formed as a denominative to such a noun or adjective. Cognate with Ancient Greek ὀρύσσω (orússō, “to dig”), Sanskrit लुञ्चति (luñcati, “to…