Etymograph

English

regal

Regal comes from Old French regal ‘regal, royal’, from Latin rex ‘king’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃rḗǵs‘king, ruler’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rēks‘king’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErex‘king’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErēgālis‘royal, kingly’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400regal‘regal, royal’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1649same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃rḗǵs‘king, ruler’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*rēks‘king’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErex‘king’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CErēgālis‘royal, kingly’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400regal‘regal, royal’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1649same form

Earliest quotation: 1649, John Milton, London: […] Matthew Simmons: “He made a scorn of his regal oath.”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’

right, source, rule, director, direction, address, direct, correct, regular, region, dress, rank, arrangement, radar, arrange, rack, ana, rogue, regime, resurrection, riches, royalty, raj, realm, regulate, interrogation, rake, richness, erect, rector, insurrection, anorexia, rectify, regent, regency, rectum, rhesus, incorrigible, droit, régime, 97 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs ‘king, ruler’

rich, rani, rajah, eldritch, 8 more

through Latin rex ‘king’

roy, rex, 6 more

through Latin rēgālis ‘royal, kingly’

real, royal, riel, 2 more

Another origin of regal

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400regol‘a gutter, channel’uncertain
  2. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600régale
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500regal
  4. Englishtodaysame form

Today it means

adj Of, pertaining to, or suitable for royalty.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- / regal

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