rede

Etymology 1

From Middle English red, rede, from Old English rǣd, from Proto-West Germanic *rād, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaz. Cognate with Danish råd, Dutch raad, German Rat, Swedish råd, Norwegian Bokmål råd. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish ráidid (“to speak, say, tell”). Doublet of rada.

noun

1. (archaic) Help, advice, counsel.
   ‘Yet do not cast all hope away. Tomorrow is unknown. Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun.’ 1954, JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers
2. (archaic) Decision, a plan.

Etymology 2

From Middle English reden, ræden, from Old English rǣdan (“to counsel, advise; plot, design; rule, govern, guide; determine, decide, decree; read, explain”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną. Cognate with German raten, Low German raden, Dutch raden. More at read.

verb

1. (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal) To govern, protect.
2. (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal) To discuss, deliberate.
3. (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal) To advise.
4. (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal) To interpret (a riddle or dream); explain.
   The secret of Man's Being is still like the Sphinx's secret: a riddle that he cannot rede. 1836, Thomas Carlyle, Sartor Resartus