Where does “reken” come from?

reken (Middle English) comes from Old Norse reka, from Old Norse vreka, from Proto-Germanic wrekaną, from Proto-Indo-European wreǵ- — to work, act.

reken (Middle English): to smoke; to drive; move; tend

Definitions

  1. to smoke; to drive; move; tend

Ancestry of “reken”, step by step

reken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse reka

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norserekashovel; to drive
2Old Norsevrekato drive
3Proto-Germanicwrekanąto pursue, to drive out
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwreǵ-to work, act

via Old English rēocan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishrēocanto smoke
2Proto-West Germanicreukanto smoke, to give off smoke
3Proto-Germanicreukanąto smoke, to give off a vapour
4Proto-Indo-Europeanrougi-—

Words derived from “reken”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wreǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wrekaną →Every word from Old Norse vreka →