Where does “red-haired” come from?

red-haired (English) comes from English Red, from English rede, from Middle English reden, from Old English rǣdan, from Proto-West Germanic rādan, from Proto-Germanic rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₁dʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂reh₁- — to fit, to fix, to put together.

red-haired (English): having red hair

Definitions

  1. having red hair

Ancestry of “red-haired”, step by step

red-haired traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Red

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishRedA Communist; A supporter of a sports team who...
2EnglishredeHelp, advice, counsel; Decision, a plan; To...
3Middle Englishredento counsel, advise; to study; to read
4Old Englishrǣdanto read, interpret; to counsel, advise; plot,...
5Proto-West Germanicrādanto advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,...
6Proto-Germanicrēdanąto decide, advise
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreh₁dʰ-to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂reh₁-to think, reason; to arrange
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

via English haired

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhairedHaving hair; not bald or hairless; Having some...
2English-edUsed to form past tenses of verbs. In...
3Middle English-edAlternative form of -hede
4Old English-edformed into the likeness of, made into, shaped...

Words derived from “red-haired

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er-
red-haired — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer