reþe

See also: rethe

Middle English

reþe

Uncertain. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *rōþijaz (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to bellow, roar”).

rēþe

fierce, cruel, savage
- c. 1000, Ælfric of Eynsham (tr.), Hexameron of St. Basil:
  Hwæt ðā God ġeworhte ðurh his wunderlīċan mihte eall nȳtencynn on heora cynrynum, and ðā wildan dēor ðe on wudum eardiað, and eall ðæt fīðerfōte byð of ðǣre foresǣdan eorðan, and eall wyrmcynn ðā ðe crēopende bēoð, and ðā rēðan lēon, ðe hēr on lande ne bēoð, and ðā swiftan tigres, and ðā syllican pardes, and ðā eġeslīċan beran, and ðā ormǣtan ylpas.
  Then, through his wonderful might, God created all the kinds of animals according to their kinds, and the wild animals that dwell in the woods, and all the four-footed creatures of the aforementioned earth, and all the kinds of creeping reptiles, and the savage lions, which do not live here, and the swift tigers, and the marvelous leopards, and the fearful bears, and the huge elephants.

Declension of rēþe — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rēþe	rēþu, rēþo	rēþe
Accusative	rēþne	rēþe	rēþe
Genitive	rēþes	rēþre	rēþes
Dative	rēþum	rēþre	rēþum
Instrumental	rēþe	rēþre	rēþe
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rēþe	rēþa, rēþe	rēþu, rēþo
Accusative	rēþe	rēþa, rēþe	rēþu, rēþo
Genitive	rēþra	rēþra	rēþra
Dative	rēþum	rēþum	rēþum
Instrumental	rēþum	rēþum	rēþum

Declension of rēþe — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rēþa	rēþe	rēþe
Accusative	rēþan	rēþan	rēþe
Genitive	rēþan	rēþan	rēþan
Dative	rēþan	rēþan	rēþan
Instrumental	rēþan	rēþan	rēþan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	rēþan	rēþan	rēþan
Accusative	rēþan	rēþan	rēþan
Genitive	rēþra, rēþena	rēþra, rēþena	rēþra, rēþena
Dative	rēþum	rēþum	rēþum
Instrumental	rēþum	rēþum	rēþum