Where does “ridden” come from?

ridden (Middle English) comes from Old English *ryddan, from Proto-Germanic riudijaną, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewdʰ-.

ridden (Middle English): to clear away, remove obstructions

Definitions

  1. to clear away, remove obstructions

Ancestry of “ridden”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old English*ryddan—
2Proto-Germanicriudijanąto clear
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrewdʰ-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hrewdʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic riudijaną →Every word from Old English *ryddan →