Rhine

From Middle English Rine, Ryne, from Old English Rīn (“the Rhine”), from Middle High German, ultimately Proto-Germanic *Rīnaz, from Gaulish Rēnos, from a Pre-Celtic or Proto-Celtic *Reinos; one of a class of river names built from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH- (“to move, flow, run”).[1] Cognate with Old High German Rīn ("the Rhine"; > German Rhein), Old Norse Rín (“the Rhine”), Dutch Rijn (“the Rhine”).

Related also to Latin rivus "river"), in Celtic with an -n- suffix as in Old Irish rīan (“sea”) (more at run).

The spelling with Rh- is due to the influence of Ancient Greek Ῥῆνος (Rhênos) (via French Rhin).

• IPA^(key): /ɹaɪn/

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• Rhymes: -aɪn

the Rhine

1. A river that flows through Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

• Hiner, Hiren, rhein