Where does “Recht haben” come from?
Recht haben (German) comes from German recht, from Middle High German reht, from Old High German reht, from Proto-West Germanic reht, from Proto-Germanic rehtaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtós, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
Recht haben (German): to be (in the) right
Definitions
- to be (in the) right
Ancestry of “Recht haben”, step by step
Recht haben traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German recht
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | recht | right; proper, correct; true, real |
| 2 | Middle High German | reht | — |
| 3 | Old High German | reht | right |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | reht | straight; right, correct; morally upright, just |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rehtaz | right, straight; morally upright, just |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵtós | straightened, right, upright |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |