Reconstruction:Old English/riefan

This Old English entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Old English

Alternative forms

• *rȳfan, *rēfan

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *raubijan, from Proto-Germanic *raubijaną. Cognate to Old Norse reyfa (Swedish röva).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈri͜yː.fɑn/, [ˈri͜yː.vɑn]

Verb

*rīefan (West Saxon)

1. to rob, steal, plunder
2. to break, tear off

Conjugation

Conjugation of *rīefan (weak class 1)

infinitive	*rīefan	*rīefenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	*rīefe	*rīefde
second person singular	*rīefest, *rīefst	*rīefdest
third person singular	*rīefeþ, *rīefþ	*rīefde
plural	*rīefaþ	*rīefdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	*rīefe	*rīefde
plural	*rīefen	*rīefden
imperative
singular	*rīef
plural	*rīefaþ
participle	present	past
	*rīefende	*(ġe)rīefed

Derived terms

• berīefan

Descendants

• Middle English: *reven
  • ⇒ Middle English: bereven, Middle English: bireven (merged with berēafian)
    • English: bereave
    • Scots: bereve, bereif