Where does “Rechtsverkehr” come from?

Rechtsverkehr (German) comes from German rechts, 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.

Rechtsverkehr (German): right-hand driving, driving on the right; legal...

Definitions

  1. right-hand driving, driving on the right; legal...

Ancestry of “Rechtsverkehr”, step by step

Rechtsverkehr traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German rechts

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanrechtson the right; to the right; the right-hand side
2Germanrechtright; proper, correct; true, real
3Middle High Germanreht
4Old High Germanrehtright
5Proto-West Germanicrehtstraight; right, correct; morally upright, just
6Proto-Germanicrehtazright, straight; morally upright, just
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵtósstraightened, right, upright
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

via German verkehr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanverkehrcorrespondence, traffic interaction [[involve
2Germanverkehrento interact in somebody’s sphere, to have...
3Dutchverkerento find oneself; to be found, be located;...
4DutchkerenTo turn around, to turn around an axis; plural of...
5Middle DutchkerenTo turn, to turn over, to turn around; To turn,...
6Old Dutchkēren
7Proto-Germanickarzijanąto turn, sweep
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵers-to turn, bend, twist; to twist; to plait things...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtósEvery word from Proto-Germanic rehtaz