Etymograph

English

riff

Riff comes from Middle English *rif.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*rif1reconstructed
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2006riff1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English riff
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2006, Janet Tashjian, Fault Line: A Novel: “She riffed on the Olympic judges, the bobsled team,…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*rifWiktionary, English riffreconstructed
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2006riffWiktionary, English riff. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2006, Janet Tashjian, Fault Line: A Novel: “She riffed on the Olympic judges, the bobsled team,…”

Every English word from Middle English *rif

Today it means

noun A repeated melody line in a song, usually instrumental but sometimes vocal.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “riff”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English *rif / riff

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