Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rive” come from?

Rive comes from Middle English riven, from Old Norse rífa, from Proto-Germanic rīfaną, from Proto-Indo-European (e)reip-, meaning to scratch or tear.

rive (English): To tear apart by force; to rend; to split; to...

Definitions

  1. To tear apart by force; to rend; to split; to...

Ancestry of “rive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchrivebank
2Latinrīpa—
3Proto-Italicreipā—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁réyp-eh₂—

Words derived from “rive”

  • riven
  • unriven
  • riv'n
  • rivest
  • riveth
  • rivenness
  • outrive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁réyp-eh₂ →