Where does “royal” come from?

royal (Middle French) comes from Old French roial, from Latin rēgālis, from Latin rēx, from Proto-Italic rēks, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.

royal (Middle French): royal (of or relating to a monarch or their family)

Definitions

  1. royal (of or relating to a monarch or their family)

Ancestry of “royal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchroialroyal
2Latinrēgālisregal, royal
3Latinrēxking, ruler
4Proto-Italicrēksking
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rḗǵsking, ruler
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs →Every word from Proto-Italic rēks →