Where does “rächen” come from?

rächen (German) comes from Middle High German rechen, from Old High German rehhan, from Proto-West Germanic rekan, from Proto-Germanic rekaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.

rächen (German): to revenge; to avenge; to take revenge; to avenge...

Definitions

  1. to revenge; to avenge; to take revenge; to avenge...

Ancestry of “rächen”, step by step

rächen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German rechen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanrechento rake, to pile, to heap
2Old High Germanrehhanto rake, to pile, to heap
3Proto-West Germanicrekanto rake up, to pile up, to heap up
4Proto-Germanicrekanąto rake up, to pile up, to heap up
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rḗǵsking, ruler
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

via Middle High German rāche

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanrācherevenge
2Old High Germanrahhothroat
3Proto-West Germanic*hrakōthe back of the mouth; throat, gullet
4Proto-Indo-Europeankreg-to caw, crow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “rächen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs →Every word from Proto-Germanic rekaną →