Where does “royal” come from?
royal (French) comes from Middle French roial, from Old French roial, from Latin rēgālis, from Latin rēx, from Proto-Italic rēks, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
royal (French): royal
Ancestry of “royal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | roial | royal; Alternative form of royal |
| 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”