redd
nounEtymology Origin obscure, possibly from the act of the fish scooping, clearing out a spawning place, see redd above.
redd
verb/ɹɛd/
Etymology
Fusion of Middle English reden (“to clean up, to clear”) and redden (“to save, rescue, deliver, rid, free, clear”). The former is from Old English ġerǣdan (“to put in order, arrange, prepare”), from Proto-West Germanic *garaidijan, from Proto-Germanic *garaidijaną (“to arrange”); the latter, from Old English hreddan (“to save, deliver, recover, rescue”), from Proto-West Germanic *hraddjan, from Proto-Germanic *hradjaną. More at rid and ready. The Scottish and Northern English senses (especially 3.5 “tidy up, clear away”) are likely from Old Norse ryðja (“to clear, free, empty”), from Proto-Germanic *rudjaną, having conflated with the native word reden (see above); if so, that would make them related to Danish and Norwegian Bokmål rydde (“to clear, tidy”). The Pennsylvania (Dutch English) sense is from Middle Low German redden, cognate with Dutch redden (“to save, rescue”), both ultimately also from Proto-Germanic *hradjaną (“to loosen, set free, save”). The meaning is clearly historically conflated and related to the native English word, however their exact origin and relationship are unclear.
8 senses
3
Northern England, Scotland, Dialectal, Obsolete To fix boundaries.
4
Northern England, Scotland, Dialectal, Obsolete To comb hair.
5
Northern England, Scotland, Dialectal, Obsolete To separate combatants.
6
Northern England, Scotland, Dialectal, Obsolete To settle, usually a quarrel.
7
Northern England, Scotland, Dialectal, Obsolete To tidy up, clear away.
8
Pennsylvania, Dialectal, Obsolete To clean, tidy up, to put in order.
- I've got to redd the place before your mother gets back.