English
ripen
Ripen comes from Old English rīpian ‘to ripen’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *rīpēn.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīpēnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150rīpian‘to ripen’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*ripenenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1673ripen
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rīpēnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150rīpian‘to ripen’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*ripenenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1673ripen
Earliest quotation: 1673, John Milton: “When Faith and Love which parted from thee never…”
Formed from ripe + -en
Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyb- ‘to snatch’
Proto-Germanic *rīpijaz
Proto-West Germanic *rīpī
Old English rīpe ‘ripe, mature’
Middle English ripe
English ripe
The story
As in several other verbs, the alteration seems to have occurred during the time when the infinitive and plural ending -en was in the process of being lost (and was thus open to reinterpretation). The earliest attestation is deverbal Middle English ripening (‘causing ripeness, ripening’).
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *rīpēn
Today it means
verb Of grain, fruit, flowers, etc., to grow ripe; to become mature.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *rīpēn / ripen