Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “rȳfe” come from?

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

rȳfe (Old English): rife, abundant, frequent

Definitions

  1. rife, abundant, frequent

Ancestry of “rȳfe”, step by step

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

Words derived from “rȳfe”

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