Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “richer” come from?

Richer derives from English rich with the comparative suffix -er, tracing through Old French -er and Latin -arius, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- meaning to rule or direct.

richer (English): comparative form of rich: more rich

Definitions

  1. comparative form of rich: more rich

Ancestry of “richer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
2Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
3Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
4Latin-āre—
5Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
6Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she
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