Where does “riff” come from?

riff (Dutch) comes from English riff, from Middle English rif, from Old English hrif, from Proto-West Germanic hrif, from Proto-Germanic hrefaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱrep- — body.

riff (Dutch): riff

Definitions

  1. riff

Ancestry of “riff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishriffA repeated instrumental melody line in a song; A...
2Middle Englishrif—
3Old Englishhrifbody; womb; belly
4Proto-West Germanichrifwomb
5Proto-Germanichrefazbody; torso; stomach
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱrep-body
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱrep- →