Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “red” come from?

red (Middle English) comes from Old English rēad, from Proto-West Germanic raud, from Proto-Germanic raudaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁rowdʰós, from Proto-Indo-European h₁rewdʰ- — red.

red (Middle English): red, crimson, scarlet; red pigment; reddened,...

Definitions

  1. red, crimson, scarlet; red pigment; reddened,...

Ancestry of “red”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishrēadred
2Proto-West Germanicraudred
3Proto-Germanicraudazred
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁rowdʰósred thing
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁rewdʰ-red

Words derived from “red”

  • red
  • pink
  • reddish
  • infrared
  • reed
  • redder
  • reddening
  • pinkish
  • redhead
  • redwood
  • redshift
  • redden
  • redheaded
  • pinky
  • rede
  • redneck
  • redskin
  • redbrick
  • pinkie
  • redly
  • pinker
  • redhaired
  • pinkness
  • redcoat
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁rewdʰ- →