Where does “royal” come from?
Royal comes from Middle English royal, from Old French roial, from Latin regalis, an adjective derived from Latin rex meaning king, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ-.
royal (English): Of or relating to a monarch or their family;...
Definitions
- Of or relating to a monarch or their family;...
Ancestry of “royal”, step by step
royal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English royal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | royal | royal, of a king; kinglike, reminiscent of a... |
| 2 | Old French | roial | royal |
| 3 | Latin | rēgālis | regal, royal |
| 4 | Latin | rēx | king, ruler |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | rēks | king |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |
via Old English ryġe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ryġe | rye |
| 2 | Old English | lēah | meadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |