Etymology

reach

R1E1A1C3H4

Today it means: To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand). Full definition →

Middle English rechen ← Old English rǣċan ← Proto-West Germanic *raikijan
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reach · verb, noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*Hreyǵ-“to bind, reach”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*raikijaną
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*raikijan
  4. Old English · inherited fromrǣċan“to reach”
  5. Middle English · inherited fromrechen
  6. English todayreach

From Middle English rechen, from Old English rǣċan (“to reach”), from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan, from Proto-Germanic *raikijaną, from the Proto-Indo-European *Hreyǵ- (“to bind, reach”). Cognate with Dutch reiken, German reichen.

reach · noun2

  1. Chinese · derived from立直
  2. Japanese · borrowed from立直
  3. English todayreach

From Japanese 立直 (rīchi), from Chinese 立直 (lìzhí).

Words from the same roots

Old Englishrǣċan all →

rax

Japanese立直 all →

Chinese立直 all →

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.