Ruggen

Ruggen is a Dutch word with multiple uses. In anatomical contexts, ruggen is the plural of rug, referring to the backs of people or animals and used in descriptive or scientific writing to discuss multiple backs.

In geography and geomorphology, rug can denote a long, narrow ridge or crest. Ruggen then refers to a series or group of such ridges, or to ridge-like landscape features found in places like mountain ranges or dune systems.

The etymology of ruggen lies in the Dutch word rug, meaning back. Its plural form is formed with the suffix -en, a common pattern for Dutch plurals. The term is thus connected to the sense of a raised or extended feature resembling a back or a crest.

Ruggen also appears as a surname in Dutch-speaking regions and may appear in place names or institutional names, though it is not a very common surname. In everyday speech, the singular rug is often used for a human or animal back, and for ridges more specific geological terms are typically preferred unless the context makes the plural ruggen natural.