Etymology

Perhaps the pp. of þryue (thus GDS, OED, MED), perhaps directly from ON, cp. OIcel þrifinn ‘clean, orderly, in good condition’ (thus TGD), which can be understood either as the pp. of þrífa-sk or an adj. formed on the n. þrif ‘thriving condition, well-doing, prosperity’.

PGmc Ancestor

*þrīfan-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

þrifinn 'clean, orderly, in good condition'
(ONP þrifinn (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Icel þrifinn, Norw thriven, ODan treven, MSw þriven

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B1c

Attestation

Characteristically N and alliterative in ME; formulaic collocation with ME þro is recurrent.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 1740; Pe 868, 1192; Cl 298, 1571, 1639; WA 1326, 1407, 2259 etc.

The D MS of WA reads <threfe> at 3007 and <thryme> at 1326; both are usually regarded as errors.

Bibliography

MED thrīven (v.) , OED thriven (adj.) , HTOED , Dance þryuen