Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “rīfe” come from?

rīfe (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic rībaz, from Proto-Indo-European reyp- — to tear , rip.

Ancestry of “rīfe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicrībazgenerous; abundant
2Proto-Indo-Europeanreyp-to tear , rip

Words derived from “rīfe”

  • rife
  • rifeness
  • rifely
  • rife
Every word from Proto-Indo-European reyp- →