Etymograph

English

riding

Riding comes from Middle English rydyng, which is riden ‘to ride’ + -ing, from Old English rīdan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réydʰh₁eti.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réydʰh₁eti‘to set in motion, ride’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīdaną‘to ride’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rīdan‘to ride’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rīdan‘to ride’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500riden‘to ride on a mount’
  6. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500rydyng‘riding’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1853riding

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réydʰh₁eti‘to set in motion, ride’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīdaną‘to ride’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rīdan‘to ride’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rīdan‘to ride’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500riden‘to ride on a mount’
  6. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500rydyng‘riding’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1853riding

Earliest quotation: 1853, Charlotte Mary Yonge, The Heir of Redclyffe: “I like nothing better than to hear of your…”

Formed from ride + -ing

Proto-Indo-European *Hreydʰ- ‘to ride’

Proto-Germanic *rīdaną ‘to ride’

Proto-West Germanic *rīdan ‘to ride’

Old English rīdan ‘to ride’

Middle English riden

English ride

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH- ‘to move, churn’

rival, derivative, irritable, irritate, derivation, ria, rin, ern, 10 more

through Proto-Germanic *rīdaną ‘to ride’

raid, 1 more

through Proto-West Germanic *rīdan ‘to ride’

ritter, 1 more

through Old English rīdan ‘to ride’

rider, override, overridden, 1 more

through Middle English riden ‘to ride on a mount’

ride

Another origin of riding

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tr̥tyósreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þridjô‘third’reconstructed
  3. Old Norsec. 800–1350þriðjungr‘third part’
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150*þriþingreconstructed
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500trithing
  6. Englishtodayriding

The folk etymology that connects the term to the area a horse-rider could cover in a single day is incorrect, but may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation.folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted.

Today it means

verb A path cut through woodland.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃réydʰh₁eti / riding

Shirt and support for this word