Where does “ripe” come from?
ripe (Middle English) comes from Old English rīpe, from Proto-West Germanic rīpī, from Proto-Germanic rīpijaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁reyb- — to snatch.
Ancestry of “ripe”, step by step
ripe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English rīpe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | rīpe | ripe, mature |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | rīpī | ripe |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | rīpijaz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁reyb- | to snatch |
via Latin rīpa
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | rīpa | bank (of a river) |
| 2 | Proto-Italic | reipā | river bank |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁réyp-eh₂ | — |