An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/retten

by Friedrich Kluge

retten, verb, ‘to rescue, save,’ from Middle High German and Old High German rętten, ‘to snatch from, rescue’; compare Dutch redden, Old Frisian hredda, Anglo-Saxon hręddan, ‘to snatch from, set free,’ English to rid; Gothic *hradjan may be assumed. The Teutonic root hrad, from pre-Teutonic krath, corresponds to the Sanscrit root çrath, ‘to let go’ (present çratháyâmi).