Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Riches” come from?

Riches derives from the Middle English plural of richesse, which comes from Old French richesse meaning "wealth," ultimately from the Latin root of Richard, a personal name formed with elements meaning "powerful" and "hardy."

Ancestry of “Riches”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishRich—
2EnglishRichard—
3Middle EnglishRycharde—
4Old FrenchRichard—
5Medieval LatinRichardus—
6FrankishRīkahard—
7Proto-GermanicRīkaharduzA male given name
8Proto-Germanicrīksking, ruler
9Proto-Celticrīxsking
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rḗǵsking, ruler
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →