Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “abreiben” come from?

abreiben (German) comes from German reiben, from Middle High German rīben, from Old High German rīban, from Proto-West Germanic wrīban, from Proto-Germanic wrībaną, from Proto-Indo-European werp-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

abreiben (German): to rub off, scuff, or abrade; to rub; to grate

Definitions

  1. to rub off, scuff, or abrade; to rub; to grate

Ancestry of “abreiben”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanreibento rub; to chafe; to grate
2Middle High Germanrīben—
3Old High Germanrībanto rub
4Proto-West Germanicwrībanto rub; to wipe
5Proto-Germanicwrībanąto rub; to wipe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwerp-to bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →