Where does “ripen” come from?
Ripen comes from Middle English ripenen, whose ultimate origin and earliest meaning remain uncertain.
ripen (English): to grow ripe; to become mature; To approach or...
Definitions
- to grow ripe; to become mature; To approach or...
Ancestry of “ripen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ripenen | — |
| 2 | Old English | ripian | to ripen |
| 3 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 4 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |