Where does “righten” come from?
righten (Middle English) comes from Old English rihtan, from Proto-West Germanic rihtijan, from Proto-Germanic rihtijaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé-, from Chichewa iye — he, she.
righten (Middle English): plural of right
Ancestry of “righten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | rihtan | to right, restore; to rectify, correct, amend; to... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | rihtijan | to straighten to set straight; to align, to... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | rihtijaną | to straighten, to set straight; to align, to... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 7 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |