Where does “rife” come from?

rife (Middle English) comes from Old English rīfe, from Proto-Germanic rībaz, from Proto-Indo-European reyp- — to tear , rip.

Ancestry of “rife”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishrīfe—
2Proto-Germanicrībazgenerous; abundant
3Proto-Indo-Europeanreyp-to tear , rip

Words derived from “rife”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European reyp- →Every word from Proto-Germanic rībaz →Every word from Old English rīfe →
rife — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer