Where does “reefer” come from?
reefer (English) comes from English reef, 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.
reefer (English): Someone who reefs sails, especially a midshipman;...
Definitions
- Someone who reefs sails, especially a midshipman;...
Ancestry of “reefer”, step by step
reefer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English reef
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | reef | A chain or range of rocks, sand, or coral lying... |
| 2 | English | riff | A repeated instrumental melody line in a song; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | rif | — |
| 4 | Old English | hrif | body; womb; belly |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hrif | womb |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hrefaz | body; torso; stomach |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱrep- | body |