Where does “real” come from?
Real derives from Portuguese real, from Latin regalis meaning "of or belonging to a king," from Latin -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- meaning "to rule."
real (English): True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent;...
Definitions
- True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent;...
Ancestry of “real”, step by step
real traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English real
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | real | real, true, factual; concerning possessions;... |
| 2 | Old French | reel | — |
| 3 | Latin | reālis | real |
| 4 | Latin | rēs | thing, object, stuff |
| 5 | Latin | vindicatio | civil lawsuit; protection, defence; vindication;... |
| 6 | Latin | vindicō | to lay claim to as one's own (often with sibi) |
| 7 | Latin | vindex | claimant, vindicator |
| 8 | Latin | dīcō | to say, talk, speak, utter, mention |
| 9 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 10 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 11 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 12 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 13 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 14 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 15 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 16 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via Portuguese Real
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | Real | true, real |
| 2 | Latin | rēgālis | regal, royal |
| 3 | Latin | rēx | king, ruler |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | rēks | king |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |
via Spanish real
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | real | real; royal; a quarter of a peseta |