Where does “rechtsextrem” come from?

rechtsextrem (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.

rechtsextrem (German): far-right

Definitions

  1. far-right

Ancestry of “rechtsextrem”, step by step

rechtsextrem 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 extrem

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanextremextreme; extremely
2Latinextrēmusrear
3Proto-Italiceksterisemos

Words derived from “rechtsextrem

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ-