Where does “Riff” come from?
Riff (German) comes from English riff, from Middle English rif, from Old English hrif, from Proto-West Germanic hrif, from Proto-Germanic hrefaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱrep- — body.
Riff (German): reef; riff
Definitions
- reef; riff
Ancestry of “Riff”, step by step
Riff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English riff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | riff | A repeated instrumental melody line in a song; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | rif | — |
| 3 | Old English | hrif | body; womb; belly |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hrif | womb |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hrefaz | body; torso; stomach |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱrep- | body |
via Middle Low German rif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | rif | — |