Where does “rife” come from?

Rife comes from Old English rīfe, from Proto-Germanic rībaz, from Proto-Indo-European reyp-, of unknown ultimate meaning.

rife (English): Widespread, common, prevalent, current;...

Definitions

  1. Widespread, common, prevalent, current;...

Ancestry of “rife”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishrife
2Old Englishrīfe
3Proto-Germanicrībazgenerous; abundant
4Proto-Indo-Europeanreyp-to tear , rip

Words derived from “rife

Every word from Proto-Indo-European reyp-