FromMiddle EnglishRine,Ryne, fromOld EnglishRīn(“the Rhine”), fromMiddle High German andOld High GermanRīn, fromProto-West Germanic*Rīn, fromProto-Germanic*Rīnaz, fromGaulishRēnos, from aPre-Celtic orProto-Celtic*reinos; one of a class of river names built fromProto-Indo-European*h₃reyH-(“to move, flow, run”).[1]
Cognate withOld High GermanRīn("the Rhine"; >GermanRhein),Old NorseRín(“the Rhine”),DutchRijn(“the Rhine”). Related also to Latinrivus ("river"), in Celtic with an-n- suffix as inOld Irishrīan(“run”) (more atrun).
The spelling withRh- is due to the influence of Ancient GreekῬῆνος(Rhênos) (viaFrenchRhin).
the Rhine
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