Ryddyng

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of clearing land of trees, undergrowth, or other obstructions, as recorded in older English texts
2. A Middle English term for the process of removing growth or obstacles from an area to make it open
3. The clearing away of wood, brush, or other hindrances from ground, an action found in historical English writing

Etymology: Ryddyng is the Middle English gerund or verbal noun of "ryddan," meaning "to clear, free, or rid of something unwanted." It is a modern-looking spelling of an Old English-rooted verb, not a Latin or French import: "ryddan" derives from the Old English adjective "rēoð" or related forms tied to the idea of making clean or open, and the Middle English verb "ridden" and "redden" share this family of senses. Over time the core idea of clearing away stood out, giving us the "clearing of obstructions" sense that remains in use. Because the spelling "ryddyng" appears mainly in Middle English texts, it is best treated as a historical form rather than a current English word. Modern English uses "riddance" and the verb "rid," which descend from the same root, and "rid" still carries the sense of freeing someone from an unwanted thing.