Where does “real” come from?

real (Middle French) comes from Old French reel, from Latin reālis, from Latin rēs, from Latin vindicatio, from Latin vindicō, from Latin vindex, from Latin dīcō, from Latin -tiō — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

real (Middle French): royal; Alternative form of royal

Definitions

  1. royal; Alternative form of royal

Ancestry of “real”, step by step

real traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French reel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchreel
2Latinreālisreal
3Latinrēsthing, object, stuff
4Latinvindicatiocivil lawsuit; protection, defence; vindication;...
5Latinvindicōto lay claim to as one's own (often with sibi)
6Latinvindexclaimant, vindicator
7Latindīcōto say, talk, speak, utter, mention
8Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
9Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
10Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
11Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
12Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
13Latincalceusshoe
14Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
15Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

via Old French real

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchrealroyal; Alternative form of roial
2Old Frenchregiel
3Latinregalisregal, royal; of or pertaining to a king
4Latinrexking, ruler; despot, tyrant; king
5Proto-Italicrēksking
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rḗǵsking, ruler
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

Words derived from “real

Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ