Where does “rift” come from?
rift (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål rive, from Old Norse rífa, from Proto-Germanic rīfaną, from Proto-Indo-European rēy- — thing; possession; to regulate, count; to count,...
rift (Norwegian Bokmål): a rip, tear; a break; a scratch
Definitions
- a rip, tear; a break; a scratch
Ancestry of “rift”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Bokmål | rive | a rake; to grate + av; to scratch, tear, rip + av |
| 2 | Old Norse | rífa | to tear apart; to tear, break; to pick, scratch,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | rīfaną | to tear, rend |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | rēy- | thing; possession; to regulate, count; to count,... |