Where does “riik” come from?
riik (Estonian) comes from Low German riek, from Old Saxon rīki, from Proto-West Germanic rīkī, from Proto-Germanic rīkijaz, from Proto-Germanic rīks, from Proto-Celtic rīxs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
riik (Estonian): state, country, polity; government
Definitions
- state, country, polity; government
Ancestry of “riik”, step by step
riik traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Low German riek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low German | riek | rich |
| 2 | Old Saxon | rīki | kingdom, empire |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | rīkī | mighty, powerful; rich; kingdom, realm |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | rīkijaz | kingly, royal, noble; mighty, powerful; rich |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rīks | king, ruler |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | rīxs | king |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |
via Swedish rike
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | rike | a realm, kingdom, empire, nation; a kingdom of... |
| 2 | Old Norse | ríki | realm |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | rīkiją | rulership, government, authority; realm, kingdom |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | rīgiom | kingdom |
via Old Swedish rīke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Swedish | rīke | — |