An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/gerade

by Friedrich Kluge

gerade (2.), adjective, ‘going in one direction, straight, upright, from Middle High German gerat, ‘alert, quick, skilful, recently grown up, straight and therefore long’; the primary meaning is ‘nimble, rapid’; compare Old High German rado (and rato, hrato), ‘quick,’ Anglo-Saxon rœðe (also hrœde), ‘quick,’ Gothic raþs, ‘easy.’ Perhaps primitively allied to Rad, Latin rota.