Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ridden” come from?

Ridden comes from Middle English riden, from Old English rīdan, from Proto-Germanic rīdaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃er-.

ridden (English): past participle of ride; Full of; Oppressed,...

Definitions

  1. past participle of ride; Full of; Oppressed,...

Ancestry of “ridden”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrideTo transport oneself by sitting on and directing...
2Middle EnglishridenTo ride on a mount; to move on an animal; To use...
3Old Englishrīdanto ride
4Proto-West Germanicrīdanto ride
5Proto-Germanicrīdanąto ride
6Proto-Indo-Europeanrēydʰ-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

Words derived from “ridden”

  • unridden
  • hagridden
  • wormridden
  • riddenness
  • poverty-ridden
  • plague-ridden
  • louse-ridden
  • sin-ridden
  • sorrow-ridden
  • court-ridden
  • memory-ridden
  • cloud-ridden
  • sex-ridden
  • passion-ridden
  • money-ridden
  • fever-ridden
  • storm-ridden
  • forridden
  • gout-ridden
  • devil-ridden
  • dust-ridden
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- →