Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “river” come from?

river (Old French) comes from Old French rive, from Latin rīpa, from Proto-Italic reipā, from Proto-Indo-European h₁réyp-eh₂.

river (Old French): to fetter

Definitions

  1. to fetter

Ancestry of “river”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchriverim, edge
2Latinrīpa—
3Proto-Italicreipā—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁réyp-eh₂—

Words derived from “river”

  • rivet
  • riveter
  • unrivet
  • rivetless
  • rivethead
  • almain-rivet
  • rivetable
  • rivetlike
  • rivet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁réyp-eh₂ →