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
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | royal | royal, of a king; kinglike, reminiscent of a... |
| 2 | Old French | roial | royal |
| 3 | Latin | rēgālis | — |
| 4 | Latin | rēx | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | rēks | king |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |
Words derived from “royal”