An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Rippe

by Friedrich Kluge

Rippe (Luther, Riebe), feminine, ‘rib,’ from Middle High German rippe (ribe), neuter and feminine, Old High German rippa, feminine, rippi (ribi), neuter ‘rib’; corresponding to the equivalent Dutch rib, ribbe, Anglo-Saxon ribb, English rib, Old Icelandic rif; Gothic *ribi, neuter (plural *ribja), is by chance not recorded. Teutonic ribja-, from pre-Teutonic rebhyo-, is cognate with Modern High German Rebe and Old Slovenian rebro, neuter, ‘rib,’ from rebhro-. See Rebe, where ‘entwining’ is deduced as the primary meaning of Rippe.