Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “rēaf” come from?

rēaf (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic raub, from Proto-Germanic raubō, from Proto-Indo-European reup- — to break; to tear, peel.

rēaf (Old English): spoils, booty; spoils, booty, dress, armour,...

Definitions

  1. spoils, booty; spoils, booty, dress, armour,...

Ancestry of “rēaf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicraubrape, pillage, robbery; that which is stolen,...
2Proto-Germanicraubōrift
3Proto-Indo-Europeanreup-to break; to tear, peel

Words derived from “rēaf”

  • reeve
  • reif
  • hogreeve
  • landreeve
  • shire-reeve
  • ref
  • ræf
  • reif
  • reaf
  • raf
  • reve
  • reif
Every word from Proto-Indo-European reup- →