run (English)
Where does "run" come from?
The English verb 'run' descends from Middle English forms like 'runnen' and 'rennen', which were altered by influence from past participles such as 'runne'[1]. These Middle English terms developed from Old English 'rinnan' and Old Norse 'rinna', both rooted in Proto-Germanic '*rinnaną' meaning 'to run'[1]. The Germanic forms ultimately trace back to a deeper Proto-Indo-European root, '*h₃er-' meaning 'to move, stir'[1][4][5], via '*h₃reyH-' meaning 'to boil, churn'[1][4]. Cognates across the Germanic language family include German 'rinnen' and Dutch 'rennen'[1].
Open questions
- Proto-Germanic *rinnaną has two proposed pathways from Proto-Indo-European, either descending from *h₃reyH- meaning to undulate and churn or alternatively from *h₃r̥-néw-ti meaning to flow, move, and run. [4]
Full etymology tree
- run (English), 'To be popularly known; to be generally received.'
- derived runnen, rennen (Middle English)
- derived rinnen (Middle English)
- inherited rinnan, iernan (Old English)
- inherited *rinnan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to run, to flow'
- inherited *rinnaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to run, to rush (move quickly)'
- inherited *h₃reyH- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to move, set in motion'
- inherited *rinnaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to run, to rush (move quickly)'
- inherited *rinnan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to run, to flow'
- borrowed rinna (Old Norse), 'to flow, run'
- inherited *rinnaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to run, to rush (move quickly)'
- inherited *h₃reyH- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to move, set in motion'
- inherited *rinnaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to run, to rush (move quickly)'
- inherited rinnan, iernan (Old English)
- derived rinnen (Middle English)
- derived runnen, rennen (Middle English)
Ancestors
- *h₃er- (Proto-Indo-European)
- rinnan (Old English)
- rinna (Old Norse)
- *rinnaną (Proto-Germanic)
- *h₃reyH- (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- rend (Albanian)
- rende (Danish)
- rennen (Dutch)
- rennen (German)
- rinnen (German)
- renna (Icelandic)
- rin (Scots)
- ränna (Swedish)
- rinna (Swedish)
- rinne (West Frisian)
Descendants and derived words
- 潤 (Chinese)
- 润 (Chinese)
- 潤 (Chinese)
- a lie can run around the world before the truth can get its boots on (English)
- also-ran (English)
- bank-run (English)
- bump and run (English)
- clock is running (English)
- close-run (English)
- cut and run (English)
- eat and run (English)
- end run (English)
Sources
- run (English) - Wiktionary
- rinnan (Old English) - Wiktionary
- rinna (Old Norse) - Wiktionary
- rinnaną (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- h₃reyH- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- rinnan (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
- rennen (Middle English) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris