An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/reißen

by Friedrich Kluge

reißen, vb., ‘to tear, drag; sketch,’ from MidHG. rîȥen, OHG. rîȥan, earlier *wrîȥan, ‘to tear, tear in pieces, scratch, write’; corresponding to OSax. wrftan, ‘to tear in pieces, wound, write,’ AS. wrîtan, E. to write, OIc. ríta, ‘to write’; Goth. *wreitan, ‘to rend, write,’ is wanting, but is implied by Goth. writs, ‘streak, point.’ The various meanings of the cognates are explained by the manner in which runes were written or scratched on beech twigs. The Teut. root writ, which has been preserved also in ModHG. Riß, Ritz, ritzen, and reizen, has not yet been found in the non-Teut. languages.