Etymology
1. the modern verb is a merger of two related O.E. words. The first is
rinnan, irnan (strong, intransitive, pt.
ran, pp.
runnen), from P.Gmc.
*renwanan (cf. M.Du.
runnen, O.S., O.H.G., Goth.
rinnan, Ger.
rinnen "to flow, run"), from PIE base
*ren- "to run." The sense of "cause to run" is from O.E.
ærnan, earnan (weak, transitive, probably a metathesis of
*rennan), from P.Gmc.
*rannjanan, causative of the root
*ren- "run." Of streams, etc., from c.1205; of machinery, from 1562. Meaning "to be in charge of" is first attested 1861, originally Amer.Eng. Meaning "to seek office in an election" is from 1826, Amer.Eng. Phrase
run for it "take flight" is attested from 1642. Most figurative uses are from horseracing or hunting (cf
to run (something) into the ground, 1836, Amer.Eng.), except
(to feel) run down (1901) which is from clocks (in the lit. sense, 1761). To
run across "meet" is attested from 1880. To
run short "exhaust one's supply" is from 1752; to
run out of in the same sense is from 1713.
2. From Middle English runnen, rennen (“to run”), alteration (due to the past participle runne, runnen,
3. yronne) of Middle English rinnen (“to run”), from Old English rinnan, iernan (“to run”) and Old Norse rinna (“to run”), both from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną (“to run”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH- (“to boil, churn”).
4. Cognate with Scots rin (“to run”), West Frisian rinne (“to walk, march”), archaic Dutch rinnen (“to flow”, still in geronnen), German rinnen (“to flow”), Swedish rinna (“to flow”), and Icelandic renna (“to flow”). From the causative Proto-Germanic *rannijaną (“to make run”) are Dutch rennen, German rennen, Danish rende, Swedish ränna (all “to run”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian rend (“to run, run after”), Persian راندن (rândan, “to move, set in motion”). See also random. See: Old English '
rinnan', Proto-Germanic '
*rinnaną', Scots '
rin', Dutch '
rinnen', German, old spelling '
rinnen', Swedish '
rinna', Icelandic '
renna', Dutch '
rennen', German, old spelling '
rennen', Danish '
rende', Swedish '
ränna'.
Verbs referencing "run"
German, old spelling
rennen, Luxembourgish
rennen, Danish
rinde, Sranan
lon, Bavarian renna, Dutch
runnen, Sanskrit
ऋणोति, Sanskrit
रिणाति.