Where does “rad” come from?

rad (Middle English) comes from Old English hræd, from Proto-West Germanic *hrad, from Proto-Germanic hradaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱret- — to be strong.

rad (Middle English): quick, fast, speedy

Definitions

  1. quick, fast, speedy

Ancestry of “rad”, step by step

rad traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English hræd

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhrædquick, hasty
2Proto-West Germanic*hradquick, hasty
3Proto-Germanichradazquick, hasty
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱret-to be strong

via Old Norse hræddr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsehræddrafraid
2Old Norsehræðato frighten; to be afraid of
3Proto-Germanichrēdijaną—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱret- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hradaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *hrad →