源etymfun
About

Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

English

ready

/ˈɹɛd.i/
Prepared for immediate action or use.

    Etymology graph

    • inherited
    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
    React Flow
    Press enter or space to select a node. You can then use the arrow keys to move the node around. Press delete to remove it and escape to cancel.
    Press enter or space to select an edge. You can then press delete to remove it or escape to cancel.

    Click a node to zoom in · double-click to open it

    Origin

    From Middle English redy, redi, rædiȝ, iredi, ȝerǣdi, alteration ( + -y) of earlier irēd, irede, ȝerād (“ready, prepared”), from Old English rǣde, ġerǣde (also ġerȳde) ("prepared, prompt, ready, ready for riding (horse), mounted (on a horse), skilled, simple, easy"), from Proto-Germanic *garaidijaz, *raidijaz, from base *raidaz (“ready”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁dʰ-, *h₂reh₁- (“to count, put in order, arrange, make comfortable”) and also probably conflated with Proto-Indo-European *reydʰ- (“to ride”) in the sense of "set to ride, able or fit to go, ready". Cognate with Scots readie, reddy (“ready, prepared”), West Frisian ree (“ready”), Dutch gereed (“ready”), German bereit (“ready”), Danish rede (“ready”), Swedish redo (“ready, fit, prepared”), Norwegian reiug (“ready, prepared”), Icelandic greiður (“easy, light”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (garaiþs, “arranged, ordered”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*h₂er- “to fit, put together”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishredy
      • inheritedOld Englishrǣde
        • inheritedProto-Germanic*garaidijaz
          • derivedProto-Indo-European*h₂reh₁dʰ-
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*reydʰ- “to ride”
    • suffixEnglish-y “Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving…”
      • inheritedMiddle English-y
        • derivedMiddle English-ie
        • inheritedOld English-iġ
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*-ōn

    Related: Scots readie, West Frisian ree, Dutch gereed, German bereit, Danish rede, Swedish redo, Norwegian reiug, Icelandic greiður, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃

    Words built on it: already, ready-made

    Meanings

    adj
    1. Prepared for immediate action or use.
    2. first only used predicatively, freely used from the end of the 17th century
    3. Inclined; apt to happen.
    4. Liable at any moment.
    5. Not slow or hesitating; quick in action or perception of any kind.
    6. Offering itself at once; at hand; opportune; convenient.
    verb
    1. To prepare; to make ready for action.
    noun
    1. Ready money; cash.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: ready