Where does “rien” come from?
rien (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch rīan, from Proto-Germanic rīhaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₁reyḱ — to break, scratch.
rien (Middle Dutch): to sew together, to put a thread through
Definitions
- to sew together, to put a thread through
Ancestry of “rien”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | rīan | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | rīhaną | to line up, to string together |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁reyḱ | to break, scratch |
Words derived from “rien”