ride

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*Hreydʰ-“to ride”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*rīdaną“to ride”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*rīdan
4. Old English · inherited fromrīdan
5. Middle English · inherited fromriden
6. English todayride

From Middle English riden, from Old English rīdan, from Proto-West Germanic *rīdan, from Proto-Germanic *rīdaną (“to ride”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hreydʰ- (“to ride”), from *h₃reyH- (“to move”), from *h₃er- (“to move, stir”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: North Frisian ride, ridj, rir (“to ride”), West Frisian ride (“to ride”), Dutch rijden, ryden (“to ride; to drive”), German reiten, reuten (“to ride”), German Low German rieden (“to ride; to drive”), Limburgish rieje (“to ride; to drive”), Luxembourgish reiden (“to ride”), Vilamovian raeita, rajta (“to ride”), Danish ride (“to ride”), Faroese and Icelandic ríða (“to ride”), Norwegian Bokmål ri, ride (“to ride”), Norwegian Nynorsk ri, rida, ride (“to ride”), Swedish rida (“to ride”). From Indo-European: Cornish ardh (“height”), Irish arad, ard, árd (“high, tall”), Manx ard (“high, tall”), Scottish Gaelic àrd (“high”), Welsh ardd (“hill, upland”), Latin irrītō (“to excite, incite, stimulate; to exasperate”), Ancient Greek ὀρῑ́νω (orī́nō, “to move, stir”), Albanian rashë (“to have fallen; to have flopped”), Russian ре́ять (réjatʹ, “to fly, hover, soar”), Armenian հառնել (haṙnel, “to get up; to rise up”), Northern Kurdish rîtin (“to shit”), Persian ریدن (ridan, “to shit; to fuck up, to screw up”), Tocharian A ar- (“to evoke; to produce, yield”), Tocharian B er- (“to evoke; to produce, yield”), Hittite 𒅈𒉡𒊻𒍣 (ar-nu-uz-zi, “to address, send”), Sanskrit रीति (rīti, “course, motion; current, stream; line, row”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 8th c., transitive usage from 9th c. To transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, later also a bicycle etc.
• from 9th c., transitive usage from 19th c. To be transported in a vehicle; to travel as a passenger.
• from 17th c. To transport (someone) in a vehicle.
• from 10th c. Of a ship: to sail, to float on the water.
• from 10th c. To be carried or supported by something lightly and quickly; to travel in such a way, as though on horseback.
• from 13th c. To mount (someone) to have sex with them.
• from 19th c. To nag or criticize; to annoy (someone).
• from 19th c. Of clothing: to gradually move (up) and crease; to ruckle.