Where does “royalty” come from?
Royalty comes from Middle English royaltee, from Old French roialté, from Vulgar Latin regalitatem, from Latin regalis meaning "of a king," derived from the Proto-Indo-European root h₃reǵ- meaning "to rule."
royalty (English): The rank, status, power or authority of a...
Definitions
- The rank, status, power or authority of a...
Ancestry of “royalty”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | royaltee | Alternative form of royalte |
| 2 | Old French | roialté | — |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | regalitatem | — |
| 4 | Latin | regalitas | royal dignity, royalty, regality |