Where does “rei” come from?
rei (Galician) comes from Old Portuguese rei, from Latin regem, from Latin rex, from Proto-Italic rēks, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
rei (Galician): king
Ancestry of “rei”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Portuguese | rei | king |
| 2 | Latin | regem | accusative singular of rēx |
| 3 | Latin | rex | king, ruler; despot, tyrant; king |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | rēks | king |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |