Definition of the word rid of

The origin of the phrase "rid of" can be traced back to Old English, where it was spelled as "ered of" and pronounced as "hīred of". This phrase was used to indicate that something or someone was no longer subject to or affected by a certain condition or influence. The word "rid" in this context came from the Old English word "hēr" which meant "free" or "unburdened". This word evolved over time in Middle English and became "red" or "ridd" in Early Modern English, which retained its original meaning. The phrase "rid of" itself, which was formed by combining the words "rid" and "of", became more commonly used in the 13th century as English began to standardize. It has since remained a useful phrase in the English language, conveying the sense of being liberated or liberated from something that was once a burden or hindrance. Interestingly, the term "burden of" has a similar origin, also stemming from Old English and meaning "hear-d" or "heard-led" - that is, "carried" or "burdened". Over time this evolved into "beran" and then "burThan" in Middle English, which finally became "burden" in Modern English. So in short, the phrases "rid of" and "burden of" both have roots in Old English, evolving over time to convey the meanings of liberation and burden respectively that we still use today.