Where does “reed” come from?

Reed comes from Middle English reden, Old English rǣdan, Proto-Germanic raudaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots including h₂reh₁-, though the precise semantic development remains unclear.

reed (English): Any of various types of tall stiff perennial...

Definitions

  1. Any of various types of tall stiff perennial...

Ancestry of “reed”, step by step

reed 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 Old English rēodan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishrēodanto redden, make red
2Proto-West Germanicreudanto redden, to make red; to clear, to eradicate
3Proto-Germanicreudanąto redden, make red; to clear, eradicate, remove

Words derived from “reed

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er-