Where does “reef” come from?

Reef comes from Old English rēaf, from Old Norse rif, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots kreup-, reup-, and krep-, all related to breaking or tearing.

reef (English): A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying...

Definitions

  1. A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying...

Ancestry of “reef”, step by step

reef traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English riff

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

via Middle English ref

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishrefAlternative form of reif
2Old Englishrēafspoils, booty; spoils, booty, dress, armour,...
3Proto-West Germanicraubrape, pillage, robbery; that which is stolen,...
4Proto-Germanicraubōrift
5Proto-Indo-Europeanreup-to break; to tear, peel

Words derived from “reef”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱrep- →