Where does “Rechtswesen” come from?

Rechtswesen (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.

Rechtswesen (German): legal system

Definitions

  1. legal system

Ancestry of “Rechtswesen”, step by step

Rechtswesen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German recht

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

via German wēsen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwēsencreature, being
2Middle High Germanwësen
3Old High Germanwesanto be, exist
4Proto-West Germanicwesanto be
5Proto-Germanic*wesaną
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwes-to dress, clothe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtósEvery word from Proto-Germanic rehtaz