Etymology

ribbon

R1I1B3B3O1N1

Today it means: A long, narrow strip of material used for decoration of clothing or the hair or gift wrapping. Full definition →

Middle English riban ← Old French riban ← Germanic
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The story

  1. Germanic · derived from
  2. Old French · derived fromriban
  3. Middle English · inherited fromriban
  4. English todayribbon

From Middle English riban, ryban, ryband, from Old French riban, ruban ( > modern French ruban), of uncertain origin. Likely from a Germanic compound whose second element is cognate with English band. Compare Middle Dutch ringhband (“necklace”, literally “ring-band”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.