English
Ray
Ray comes from Old French roi ‘king’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-‘to straighten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃rḗǵs‘king, ruler’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rēks‘king’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErēxas rēgem‘king, ruler’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400roias rei‘king’
- Englishearliest quotation 1980Ray
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-‘to straighten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃rḗǵs‘king, ruler’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rēks‘king’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErēxas rēgem‘king, ruler’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400roias rei‘king’
- Englishearliest quotation 1980Ray
Earliest quotation: 1980, Wright Morris, Plains Song: “-, or Raymond if it happened to be a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
right, director, source, region, regular, rule, direction, address, direct, correct, dress, regime, realm, arrangement, rank, ana, rogue, regulate, radar, royalty, resurrection, arrange, riches, interrogation, erect, regent, rack, rector, richness, regency, insurrection, rectify, anorexia, rectum, raj, rake, rhesus, rectification, incorrigible, droit, 96 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs ‘king, ruler’
rich, rani, eldritch, rajah, 7 more
through Proto-Italic *rēks ‘king’
through Latin rēx ‘king, ruler’
real, royal, rex, regal, riel, 6 more
through Old French roi ‘king’
Another origin of Ray
- Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEr-g-a /ragā/transliteratedoriginal script r-g-a /ragā/, a transliteration
- EnglishtodayRay
Today it means
name A surname transferred from the nickname.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.