Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “rǣdan” come from?

rǣdan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic rādan, from Proto-Germanic rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₁dʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂reh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.

rǣdan (Old English): to read, interpret; to counsel, advise; plot,...

Definitions

  1. to read, interpret; to counsel, advise; plot,...

Ancestry of “rǣdan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicrādanto advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,...
2Proto-Germanicrēdanąto decide, advise
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanHreh₁dʰ-to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂reh₁-to think, reason; to arrange
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

Words derived from “rǣdan”

  • read
  • reading
  • readable
  • reed
  • reread
  • readability
  • unreadable
  • readout
  • unread
  • proofread
  • rede
  • readest
  • speechreading
  • reeded
  • reedbuck
  • readme
  • readee
  • readahead
  • readthrough
  • readback
  • unreadability
  • nonreading
  • reedlike
  • readableness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- →