reif

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*Hrewp-“to rip, tear”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*raubą
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*raub
4. Old English · inherited fromrēaf“plunder, spoil, booty, raiment, garment, robe, vestment, armor”
5. Middle English · inherited fromref
6. English todayreif

From Middle English ref, reaf, reif, from Old English rēaf (“plunder, spoil, booty, raiment, garment, robe, vestment, armor”), from Proto-West Germanic *raub, from Proto-Germanic *raubą, *raubaz (“rape, robbery”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp- (“to rip, tear”). Cognate with Scots reif, rief (“robbery, depredation, spoliation”), Saterland Frisian roowje (“loot, rob”), Dutch roof (“spoil, booty, robbery”), German Raub (“robbery, spoils, plunder”). See also reave, robe.

Words from the same roots