Where does “rights” come from?
Rights comes from Middle English right, from Old English riht, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtós, the past participle of h₃reǵ-, meaning to direct or lead straight.
rights (English): plural of right; Third-person singular simple...
Definitions
- plural of right; Third-person singular simple...
Ancestry of “rights”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | right | Straight, not bent; Of an angle, having a size of... |
| 2 | Middle English | right | A good deed, right action; A just or equitable... |
| 3 | Old English | riht | straight; right, true, correct; rightful,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | reht | straight; right, correct; morally upright, just |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rehtaz | right, straight; morally upright, just |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵtós | straightened, right, upright |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |