Where does “reffen” come from?
reffen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German hraffon, from Proto-West Germanic hrapōn, from Proto-Germanic hrapōną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb(h)-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
Ancestry of “reffen”, step by step
reffen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old High German hraffon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | hraffon | to grasp, to snatch |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hrapōn | to snatch |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hrapōną | to scratch, scrape |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kreb(h)- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |