English
ridge
Ridge comes from Old English hryċġ ‘back, spine, ridge, elevated surface’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)krewk-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)krewk-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hrugjaz‘back’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hrugi‘back’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hryċġ‘back, spine, ridge, elevated surface’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rigge
- Englishearliest quotation 1595ridge
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)krewk-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hrugjaz‘back’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hrugi‘back’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hryċġ‘back, spine, ridge, elevated surface’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500rigge
- Englishearliest quotation 1595ridge
Earliest quotation: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “[…]Which to maintaine, I would allow him oddes, /…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *(s)krewk-
Today it means
noun The back of any animal; especially the upper or projecting part of the back of a quadruped.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)krewk- / ridge