Where does “bereuen” come from?
bereuen (German) comes from German reuen, from Middle High German riuwen, from Old Dutch riuwan, from Proto-West Germanic hreuwan, from Proto-Germanic hrewwaną, from Proto-Indo-European krew- — to fall, collapse; scab; to fall, break, bruise.
bereuen (German): to regret, to rue
Ancestry of “bereuen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | reuen | to regret, to be sorry , to rue; to repent |
| 2 | Middle High German | riuwen | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | riuwan | to regret |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hreuwan | to cause pain, regret |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hrewwaną | to grieve, to feel sorrow; to cause regret, to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | krew- | to fall, collapse; scab; to fall, break, bruise |