*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of rid

The verb is derived from Middle English ridden (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to complete (something unfinished); to free (someone or something); to relieve (someone); etc.”), probably

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Progress which has been made; also, speed. · Loose earth, rubble, etc., on the surface of a quarry which must be removed before digging can begin; rid-work.

adj

Chiefly of a place: which has been ridded (etymology 1, verb sense 1.4.1) or cleared; rid-up.

verb

Followed by of: to free (oneself or someone, or a place) from an annoyance or hindrance. · Followed by away, from, or out of: to remove (oneself or someone, or something, that is annoying, troublesome, or unwanted). · Often followed by from, of, or out of: to free or release, or to rescue or save, (oneself or someone, or something). · To clear (a place or way); especially, to clear (land) of trees, undergrowth, etc.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

The verb is derived from Middle English ridden (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to complete (something unfinished); to free (someone or something); to relieve (someone); etc.”), probably from Old English *ryddan (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear”) (the past participle form ġeryd is attested), from Proto-Germanic *riudijaną (“to clear”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hrewdʰ- (“to clear land”), or possibly from *Hrew- (“to dig out, tear out; to open; to acquire”). The verb was probably also influenced by the following: * Middle English redden (“to rescue (someone), deliver, save; to rid (someone) of a burden; to free (someone)”) (from which redd (obsolete except Northern England, Scotland) is partly derived), from Old English hreddan (“to deliver, rescue, save; to free; to recover; to take away”), from Proto-West Germanic *hraddjan (“to rescue, save”), from Proto-Germanic *hradjaną (“to rescue, save; to free; to loosen”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kret- (“to move quickly; to rattle; to shake”); and * Middle English reden (“to arrange; to get ready, prepare; to put in order, tidy; to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to unblock; etc.”) (whence rede (chiefly Scotland, archaic)), from Old English rǣdan, Early Old English rēdan, from Proto-West Germanic *raidijan (“to arrange”), from Proto-Germanic *raidijaną (“to arrange”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂rey- (“to arrange; to count, count out”). The adjective is derived from rid, the past participle of the verb. The noun is derived from the verb. As regards noun etymology 1, noun sense 1 (“progress which has been made; speed”), compare verb etymology 1, verb sense 1.4.5 (“to complete or get through (a task, or work)”). cognates * Dutch redden (“to save, deliver”) * German retten (“to save, deliver”), reuten (“to clear”), roden (“to clear”) * Old Frisian hredda (“to save”) * Old Norse hrōðja (“to clear, strip”), Old Norse ryðja (“to clear, empty”)

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*Hrew-ine-pro
  • Root classification mention*h₂rey-ine-pro
  • Root classification mention*kret-ine-pro
  • Root classification mention*Hrewdʰ-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionriddenenm · to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to complete (something unfinished); to free (someone or something); to relieve (someone); etc.
  • Inherited-form mention*ryddanang · to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear
  • Inherited-form mention*riudijanągem-pro · to clear
  • Derivation mention*Hrewdʰ-ine-pro · to clear land
  • Inherited-form mentionreddenenm · to rescue (someone), deliver, save; to rid (someone) of a burden; to free (someone)
  • Inherited-form mentionhreddanang · to deliver, rescue, save; to free; to recover; to take away
  • Inherited-form mention*hraddjangmw-pro · to rescue, save
  • Inherited-form mention*hradjanągem-pro · to rescue, save; to free; to loosen
  • Inherited-form mention*kret-ine-pro · to move quickly; to rattle; to shake
  • Inherited-form mentionredenenm · to arrange; to get ready, prepare; to put in order, tidy; to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to unblock; etc.
  • Inherited-form mentionrǣdanang
  • Cognate mentionrēdanang
  • Inherited-form mention*raidijangmw-pro · to arrange
  • Inherited-form mention*raidijanągem-pro · to arrange
  • Inherited-form mention*h₂rey-ine-pro · to arrange; to count, count out
  • Cognate mentionreddennl · to save, deliver
  • Cognate mentionrettende · to save, deliver
  • Cognate mentionhreddaofs · to save
  • Cognate mentionhróðjanon
  • Cognate mentionryðjanon · to clear, empty

This page abbreviates 12 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*Hrew-",
        "4": "*h₂rey-",
        "5": "*kret-",
        "6": "*Hrewdʰ-",
        "id3": "shake"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "verb"
      },
      "expansion": "verb"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ridden",
        "t": "to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to complete (something unfinished); to free (someone or something); to relieve (someone); etc."
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ridden (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to complete (something unfinished); to free (someone or something); to relieve (someone); etc.”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*ryddan",
        "t": "to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *ryddan (“to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "past participle"
      },
      "expansion": "past participle"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*riudijaną",
        "t": "to clear"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *riudijaną (“to clear”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*Hrewdʰ-",
        "t": "to clear land"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *Hrewdʰ- (“to clear land”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "redden",
        "t": "to rescue (someone), deliver, save; to rid (someone) of a burden; to free (someone)"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English redden (“to rescue (someone), deliver, save; to rid (someone) of a burden; to free (someone)”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "qualifier",
      "args": {
        "1": "obsolete except Northern England",
        "2": "Scotland"
      },
      "expansion": "(obsolete except Northern England, Scotland)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hreddan",
        "t": "to deliver, rescue, save; to free; to recover; to take away"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hreddan (“to deliver, rescue, save; to free; to recover; to take away”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hraddjan",
        "t": "to rescue, save"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hraddjan (“to rescue, save”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hradjaną",
        "t": "to rescue, save; to free; to loosen"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *hradjaną (“to rescue, save; to free; to loosen”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kret-",
        "t": "to move quickly; to rattle; to shake",
        "id": "shake"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kret- (“to move quickly; to rattle; to shake”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "reden",
        "t": "to arrange; to get ready, prepare; to put in order, tidy; to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to unblock; etc."
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English reden (“to arrange; to get ready, prepare; to put in order, tidy; to remove debris, obstructions, etc., from (a place), to clear; to unblock; etc.”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "qualifier",
      "args": {
        "1": "chiefly Scotland",
        "2": "archaic"
      },
      "expansion": "(chiefly Scotland, archaic)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "rǣdan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rǣdan"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "rēdan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English rēdan"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*raidijan",
        "t": "to arrange"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *raidijan (“to arrange”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*raidijaną",
        "t": "to arrange"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *raidijaną (“to arrange”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₂rey-",
        "t": "to arrange; to count, count out"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₂rey- (“to arrange; to count, count out”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "senseno",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "progress"
      },
      "expansion": "etymology 1, noun sense 1"
    },
    {
      "name": "senseno",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "complete work"
      },
      "expansion": "etymology 1, verb sense 1.4.5"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cognates"
      },
      "expansion": "cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "redden",
        "t": "to save, deliver"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch redden (“to save, deliver”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "retten",
        "t": "to save, deliver"
      },
      "expansion": "German retten (“to save, deliver”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "hredda",
        "t": "to save"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian hredda (“to save”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "hróðja",
        "3": "hrōðja",
        "4": "to clear, strip"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse hrōðja (“to clear, strip”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "ryðja",
        "t": "to clear, empty"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse ryðja (“to clear, empty”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ridden",
      "ridden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*ryddan",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/ryddan"
    ],
    [
      "ġeryd",
      "geryd#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*riudijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/riudijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*Hrewdʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hrewdʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "*Hrew-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/Hrew-"
    ],
    [
      "redden",
      "redden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "redd",
      "redd#English"
    ],
    [
      "hreddan",
      "hreddan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*hraddjan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hraddjan"
    ],
    [
      "*hradjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hradjaną"
    ],
    [
      "*kret-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kret-#Proto-Indo-European:_shake"
    ],
    [
      "reden",
      "reden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rede",
      "rede#English"
    ],
    [
      "rǣdan",
      "rædan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "rēdan",
      "redan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*raidijan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/raidijan"
    ],
    [
      "*raidijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/raidijaną"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂rey-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂rey-"
    ],
    [
      "redden",
      "redden#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "retten",
      "retten#German"
    ],
    [
      "reuten",
      "reuten#German"
    ],
    [
      "roden",
      "roden#German"
    ],
    [
      "hredda",
      "hredda#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "hrōðja",
      "hróðja#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "ryðja",
      "ryðja#Old_Norse"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Progress which has been made; also, speed.",
        "Loose earth, rubble, etc., on the surface of a quarry which must be removed before digging can begin; rid-work."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "archaic",
        "obsolete",
        "rare",
        "uncountable"
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    },
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Chiefly of a place: which has been ridded (etymology 1, verb sense 1.4.1) or cleared; rid-up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "not-comparable",
        "obsolete"
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    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Followed by of: to free (oneself or someone, or a place) from an annoyance or hindrance.",
        "Followed by away, from, or out of: to remove (oneself or someone, or something, that is annoying, troublesome, or unwanted).",
        "Often followed by from, of, or out of: to free or release, or to rescue or save, (oneself or someone, or something).",
        "To clear (a place or way); especially, to clear (land) of trees, undergrowth, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "also",
        "reflexive",
        "transitive",
        "archaic"
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

As the second word in a compound: synonym of ridden (“full of; also, dominated, oppressed, or plagued by”). · Only in well-rid: of a horse: ridden.

verb

simple past and past participle of ride

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

The adjective is derived from rid, the obsolete past participle form of ride.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "past participle"
      },
      "expansion": "past participle"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ride",
      "ride#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "As the second word in a compound: synonym of ridden (“full of; also, dominated, oppressed, or plagued by”).",
        "Only in well-rid: of a horse: ridden."
      ],
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        "simple past and past participle of ride"
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for rid →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cmlk