Where does “Riikki” come from?
Riikki (Greenlandic) comes from Estonian riik, from Low German riek, from Old Saxon rīki, from Proto-West Germanic rīkī, from Proto-Germanic rīkijaz, from Proto-Germanic rīks, from Proto-Celtic rīxs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.
Ancestry of “Riikki”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Estonian | riik | state, country, polity; government |
| 2 | Low German | riek | rich |
| 3 | Old Saxon | rīki | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rīkī | mighty, powerful; rich; kingdom, realm |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rīkijaz | kingly, royal, noble; mighty, powerful; rich |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rīks | king, ruler |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | rīxs | king |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |