Where does “nightrider” come from?

nightrider (English) comes from English rīder, from English boardrider, from English rider, from Middle English ridere, from Middle English ryder, from Old English rīdere, from Old English rīdan, from Proto-West Germanic rīdan — to fit, to fix, to put together.

nightrider (English): A member of the Ku Klux Klan, especially during...

Definitions

  1. A member of the Ku Klux Klan, especially during...

Ancestry of “nightrider”, step by step

nightrider traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rīder

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishrīder
2Englishboardridersurfer
3EnglishriderOne who rides, often on a horse or a motorcycle;...
4Middle EnglishridereAlternative form of ryder
5Middle EnglishryderA rider or equestrian; one who rides a horse; A...
6Old Englishrīdererider, knight
7Old Englishrīdanto ride
8Proto-West Germanicrīdanto ride
9Proto-Germanicrīdanąto ride
10Proto-Indo-Europeanrēydʰ-
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

via English night

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnightThe period between sunset and sunrise, when a...
2Middle EnglishnyghtAlternative form of nighte; Alternative form of...
3Middle Englishnightenight
4Old EnglishnyhtAlternative form of niht
5Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
6Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
7Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
8Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er-Every word from Proto-Indo-European rēydʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic rīdaną