Where does “rīm” come from?
rīm (Middle High German) comes from Old French rime, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός, from Ancient Greek ῥέω, from Proto-Indo-European srew-, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
Ancestry of “rīm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | rime | story; tale; account |
| 2 | Latin | rhythmus | rhythm |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ῥυθμός | a repeating, regular motion, vibration; measured... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ῥέω | I flow, stream, run, gush; I let flow, pour; I... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | srew- | to flow, stream |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |