Etymology

OE to- + ME riven, cp. OIcel rífa 'to tear, rend' (see ryue).

PGmc Ancestor

*rīfan-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

rífa ‘to tear, rend’
(ONP rífa (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far ríva, Icel rífa, Norw riva, Dan rive, Sw riva

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B2a

Attestation

Common in later ME (though first attested in Havelok).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 1197; Cl 964; Pat 379

Bibliography

MED tọ̄̆rīven (v.)[ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED46366&egs=all&egdisplay=open], OED to-rive (v.)[ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/203555?redirectedFrom=torive&], HTOED