rethe

• reth, reithe, retht (Scotland)

From Middle English reth, rethe, from Old English rēþe (“fierce, cruel, savage, severe, stern, austere, zealous, wild, dire”), from Proto-West Germanic *rōþī, from Proto-Germanic *rōþijaz (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey-, *rēy- (“to scream, shout, roar, bellow, bark, growl”). Cognate with Scots reithe, reythe, reth (“rethe”), Old High German ruod (“a roar”), Middle High German rüeden (“to be noisy”), Bavarian rüeden (“to be noisy, roar, be in heat”).

• IPA^(key): /riːð/

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rethe (comparative rether or more rethe, superlative rethest or most rethe)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) (of persons) Fierce; cruel; savage; stern; zealous; ardent; keen.
2. (Now chiefly dialectal) (of things) Terrible; dreadful; severe.

• retheness

rethe (comparative rether or more rethe, superlative rethest or most rethe)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) Furiously; violently; wildly.

• Ehret, Ether, Reeth, ether, theer, there, three

rethe

1. alternative form of reth