Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Ruhe” come from?

Ruhe (German) comes from Middle High German ruo, from Old High German ruowa, from Proto-West Germanic rōu, from Proto-Germanic *rōō, from Proto-Indo-European h₁reh₁- — to row; to separate; loose, sparse, rare.

Ancestry of “Ruhe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanruo—
2Old High Germanruowapeace, quiet, rest
3Proto-West Germanicrōucalm, quiet; rest, repose
4Proto-Germanic*rōō—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁reh₁-to row; to separate; loose, sparse, rare
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁reh₁- →