Where does “ripe” come from?
Ripe comes from Middle English ripe, from Latin ripa meaning bank or shore, from Proto-Indo-European h₁reyp-, with intermediary forms in Proto-Germanic rīpijaz and Proto-Indo-European rey-.
ripe (English): Ready for reaping or gathering; having attained...
Definitions
- Ready for reaping or gathering; having attained...
Ancestry of “ripe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | rife | Widespread, common, prevalent, current;... |
| 2 | Middle English | rife | — |
| 3 | Old English | rīfe | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | rībaz | generous; abundant |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | reyp- | to tear , rip |
Words derived from “ripe”