Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Notes and Queries. From Old Icelandic, Icelandic rista to carve, to cut, slash (cognate with Old Swedish, Swedish rista, Old Danish rista (Danish riste)), a derivative (weak) formation from the same base as Old Icelandic rísta (strong verb) in the same meaning, perhaps from the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit riṣ- to suffer damage, be harmed, Avestan riš- to suffer damage, and perhaps Old Church Slavonic rěšiti to untie, free.