reþe

reþe

1. alternative form of reth

Uncertain. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *rōþijaz (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to bellow, roar”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈreː.θe/, [ˈreː.ðe]

rēþe

1. fierce, cruel, savage
   • c. 1000, Ælfric of Eynsham (tr.), Hexameron of St. Basil:

     Hwæt ðā God ġeworhte ðurh his wunderlīċan mihte eall nȳtencynn on heora cynrynum, and ðā wildan dēor ðe on wudum eardiað, and eall ðæt fīðerfōte byð of ðǣre foresǣdan eorðan, and eall wyrmcynn ðā ðe crēopende bēoð, and ðā rēðan lēon, ðe hēr on lande ne bēoð, and ðā swiftan tigres, and ðā syllican pardes, and ðā eġeslīċan beran, and ðā ormǣtan ylpas.

     Then, through his wonderful might, God created all the kinds of animals according to their kinds, and the wild animals that dwell in the woods, and all the four-footed creatures of the aforementioned earth, and all the kinds of creeping reptiles, and the savage lions, which do not live here, and the swift tigers, and the marvelous leopards, and the fearful bears, and the huge elephants.

• rēþiġ
• rēþnes
• unrēþe

• Middle English: reth, reþe, rethe, reðe
  • English: rethe, reth, reithe, retht
  • Scots: reth, reithe