reef

reef · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₁rebʰ-“arch, ceiling, cover”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*ribją“rib, reef”
3. Old Norse · derived fromrif“rib, reef”
4. Middle English · inherited fromrif
5. English todayreef

From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Germanic *ribją (“rib, reef”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rebʰ- (“arch, ceiling, cover”). Dutch rif (“reef”), Low German riff, reff (“reef”), German Riff (“reef, ledge”) are also borrowed from Old Norse. Doublet of rib.

reef · noun, verb²

1. Middle Low German · derived fromref
2. Middle Dutch · derived fromrif
3. Old Norse · derived fromrif
4. Middle English · inherited fromreef
5. English todayreef

From Middle English reef, from Old Norse rif, Middle Dutch rif, rēve, and/or Middle Low German ref. Possibly a figurative use of the word for “rib” in etymology 1 above, in which case all forms must, again, be borrowings from Old Norse. Alternatively it may be a different word related to Old English rift (“curtain, veil”), ārāfian (“to uncoil, wind off”).

reef · adjective, noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kreup-“scab, crust”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*hreubaz“rough, scabby, scrubby”
3. Old English · derived fromhrēof“rough, scabby, leprous", also "a leper”
4. Middle English · derived fromref
5. English todayreef

From Middle English ref, hreof, from Old English hrēof (“rough, scabby, leprous", also "a leper”), from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz (“rough, scabby, scrubby”), from Proto-Indo-European *kreup- (“scab, crust”), related to Old English hrēofla (“leprosy, leper”). Cognate with Scots reif (“a skin disease leaving crusts on the skin, the scab”), Old High German riob (“leprous, scabby, mangy”), Icelandic hrjúfur (“scabby, rough”). Compare riffe, dandruff.

Reef · proper noun⁴

1. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*hrif
2. German · borrowed fromReef
3. English todayReef

Borrowed from North German Reef, possibly related to Reep (“rope”), or otherwise from obsolete rif (“body”) (from Proto-West Germanic *hrif).

Words from the same roots