rienda

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin retina (via */ˈrɛd(e)na/, a noun derived from Latin retinēre (“hold back, restrain”), with metathesis of /dn/ (compare Spanish candado < *cadnado < Latin catēnātum). Compare Portuguese rédea.

rienda f

1. rein(s) (of a horse)
   • ca. 1300-1325, anonymous, Cuento muy fermoso de Otas de Roma , (ed. by Herbert L. Baird, Jr., 1976, Madrid: Real Academia Española):

     Desý tomó el cavallo por la rienda, que era muy bueno, e fuélo dar a Esmeré. E Esmeré cavalgó luego e tóvogelo en muy grant merçet, e aguyjó por ese canpo. Grant pavor ovieron griegos quando lo vieron a cavallo.

     Desy took the horse by its reins, as it was very good, and went to give it to Esmere. And Esmere mounted it right away, thanking him greatly, and rode it through the field. The Greeks were in great fear when they saw him on a horse.

   • 1498, anonymous, Crónica del Çid Ruy Díaz chap. 66, (ed. by Nieves Baranda, 1995, Madrid: Turner Libros):

     E desque el cuerpo del Cid dél descavalgaron, nunca ombre lo cavalgó y siempre lo llevavan al agua por la rienda.

     And since the body of the Cid was unmounted [from the horse], no one ever rode it again, taking it to water by the reins [and bridle].

Often used in the singular, unlike its modern descendant.

• Spanish: rienda

Inherited from Old Spanish rienda (“reins”, often singular), inherited from Early Medieval Latin retina (via */ˈrɛd(e)na/, with metathesis of /dn/; compare Spanish candado < cadnado < Latin catēnātum), a noun derived from Latin retinēre (“hold back, restrain”). Compare Portuguese rédea.

• IPA^(key): /ˈrjenda/ [ˈrjẽn̪.d̪a]
• Rhymes: -enda
• Syllabification: rien‧da

rienda f (plural riendas)

1. (chiefly in the plural) rein(s) (strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit and used to control an animal, especially a horse)

   Toma las riendas del caballo y lárgate. ― Take the reins of the horse, and go away.

2. (in the plural) control, direction

   Fue así que lograron tomar las riendas de la compañía. ― Thus they managed to take control of the company.

• →? Galician: renda
• → Tagalog: renda

• “rienda”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28