reed

reed · noun¹

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*hreud“reed”
2. Old English · inherited fromhrēod
3. Middle English · inherited fromred
4. English todayreed

From Middle English red, from Old English hrēod, from Proto-West Germanic *hreud (“reed”), of uncertain origin. Cognates Cognate with North Frisian raid (“reed”), Saterland Frisian Räit (“reed”), West Frisian reid (“reed”), Dutch riet (“reed”), German Reet, Ried (“reed”). No cognates in North Germanic languages, but the existence of an otherwise unattested Gothic *𐌷𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌳 (*hriud) was supposed by the brothers Grimm. They also theorised that the word may have a relation to the retas mentioned in Noctes Atticae (Aulus Gellius). The measuring reed sense is the translation of Akkadian qanûm ("cane") used in the Bible and elsewhere.

reed · verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromreden
2. English todayreed

From Middle English reden, from the noun (see above).

reed · verb³

See ree.

reed · noun⁴

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*raudō
2. Old English · inherited fromrēada
3. Middle English · inherited fromrede“abomasum”
4. English todayreed

From Middle English rede (“abomasum”), from Old English rēada, from Proto-West Germanic *raudō.

Reed · proper noun⁵

1. Old English · derived fromra“roe deer”
2. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*reudan
3. Old English · derived fromrēodan“to clear out”
4. English todayReed

* As an English and Scottish surname, from the adjective red. * Also as an English surname, from Old English rēodan (“to clear out”), from Proto-West Germanic *reudan. * Also as an English surname, from several places in England, such as Reed, Lancashire (from Old English ra (“roe deer”) or Rede, Suffolk (see Rede). Compare Rider, Reader.

Words from the same roots