Where does “river” come from?

river (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman rivere, from Old French riviere, from Latin rīpāria, from Latin rīpārius, from Latin rīpa, from Proto-Italic reipā, from Proto-Indo-European h₁réyp-eh₂.

river (Middle English): Alternative form of ryver

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of ryver

Ancestry of “river”, step by step

river traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Anglo-Norman rivere

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-NormanrivereAlternative form of riviere
2Old Frenchriviereriver
3Latinrīpārialittoral, riverbank
4Latinrīpāriusthat inhabits the banks of rivers; riparian
5Latinrīpabank (of a river)
6Proto-Italicreipāriver bank
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁réyp-eh₂—

via Middle English ryver

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishryverA river; A large flow, jet or emission of fluid;...
2Anglo-Normanriviere—

Words derived from “river”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁réyp-eh₂ →Every word from Proto-Italic reipā →Every word from Latin rīpa →