rice

rice¹ kingdom

Pronunciation

• /ˈriː.t͡ʃe/^[1]

Forms

rīċe n (strong ja-stem; genitive singular rīċes, nominative plural rīċu)^[1]

Etymology

The word for kingdom is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī (“kingdom, realm”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją (“rule, realm”).^[1] The noun is found in all the old Germanic languages: Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹 (reiki), Old Norse ríki, Old Frisian rīke, Old Saxon rīki and Old High German rīhhi.^[2][3][4]

Kroonen explains it as a collective in *-ja- made beside the root noun Proto-Germanic *rīk- (“ruler, king”) of Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (reiks, “ruler”), which he takes as a Proto-Germanic loan from Celtic, the word of Old Irish rí (“king”), going back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃rēǵ- like Latin rēx (“king”).^[2] Orel allows two routes: the adjective *rīkjaz made into a noun, or a direct loan of a Celtic noun, comparing Middle Irish ríge (“kingdom”).^[3] Wiktionary takes the Germanic noun straight from Proto-Celtic *rīgyom.^[1] Köbler also gives it as a loan from Celtic and compares the root Proto-Indo-European *reǵ- (“to direct, stretch”).^[5] Holthausen sets it beside the name-element -rīċ and the Gothic word for ruler, which he derives from the name-element Gaulish -rix, the counterpart of the Latin word for king.^[4]

Durkin sets out the case for the Celtic loan: Proto-Indo-European /ē/ should have given Germanic /ē/, while the Germanic words have /ī/, which is the regular Celtic outcome, so the Germanic forms are best explained as borrowed from Celtic, early enough for the /g/ to undergo Grimm's law and become /k/.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The noun is recorded from the mid-ninth century: the Old English gloss of the Vespasian Psalter has for ðon dryhten is rice & he waldeð ðeada “for the kingdom is the Lord's, and he rules the nations” over the Latin “quoniam domini est regnum” of Psalm 21.^[7][8]

Semantic evolution

Bosworth and Toller divide the senses into power and rule, said of kings and nations and also of bishops and other officers, and the land over which that power is held: a kingdom, realm or diocese.^[9] It renders Latin “regnum” and “imperium” in the glosses, and in the Lord's Prayer Tó becume ðín ríce it is the kingdom of God.^[5][9] The phrase tō rīċe fōn meant to come to the throne.^[9][10] In the laws it is the kingdom or state and also a bishop's diocese.^[11] In Beowulf it means kingdom, realm and rule.^[12]

The noun lived on in Middle English riche “dominion, kingdom; diocese”, which the Middle English Dictionary traces to Old English and to Old Norse.^[13] It survives in the second part of English bishopric.^[4][12]

Timeline

• s. ix med. – for ðon dryhten is rice “for the kingdom is the Lord's” in the Vespasian Psalter gloss.^[7][8]
• 890×897 – Ne fleah he ðy rice “he did not flee from rule” in the Pastoral Care (Hatton 20), said of Christ.^[14][8]
• s. ix/x – geeodon West Seaxna rice “conquered the kingdom of the West Saxons” and he hæfde þæt rice xvi gear “he held the kingdom sixteen years” in the Parker Chronicle.^[15][8]
• s. x/xi – kingdom, realm and rule in the Beowulf manuscript.^[16][12]
• a1121 – Middle English riche “dominion; kingdom” in the Peterborough Chronicle.^[13]

Meanings

Noun

1. power, authority, rule, dominion, of kings and nations.^[9][10]
2. the authority of a bishop or other officer; jurisdiction.^[9]
3. a kingdom, realm, empire; a nation.^[9][17]
4. a diocese.^[9][11]
5. a reign, as a period of time.^[10]

Word family

• cynerīċe
• heofonrīċe
• eorþrīċe
• bisċoprīċe
• abbodrīċe
• ēþelrīċe
• ēastrīċe
• rīċedōm
• rīcsian

Descendants

• Middle English riche^[1]

rice² rich

Forms

rīċe (superlative riċost)^[1]

Etymology

The word for rich is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī (“mighty, rich”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“kingly, mighty, rich”).^[1] Its cognates are Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (reikeis, “noble, princely”), Old Norse ríkr (“mighty”), Old Frisian rīke, Old Saxon rīki and Old High German rīhhi (“rich, mighty”).^[3][2][4]

Orel derives the adjective from the root noun Proto-Germanic *rīkz (“ruler”) of Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (reiks, “ruler, lord”), which he takes from Celtic, comparing Old Irish ríg.^[3] Kroonen gives the same account: the adjective *rīk(j)a- stands beside the Celtic loan *rīk- “ruler”, from a Celtic form that goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃rēǵ-, the root of Latin rēx (“king”).^[2] Wiktionary glosses the Germanic adjective “kingly, royal” and compares Latin rēgius.^[1] Köbler also takes it from Celtic.^[5] Holthausen puts it with the noun and the name-element -rīċ.^[4]

Durkin uses this word as his worked example of an early loan from Celtic into Germanic: Proto-Indo-European /ē/ would have stayed /ē/ in Germanic, but Celtic turned it into /ī/, as in Gaulish rix, and the Germanic /k/ shows that the word was taken over before Grimm's law.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective is first recorded in the Pastoral Care (Hatton 20, 890×897): Forðæm oft gebyreð ðæm monnðwæran, ðonne he wierð riece ofer oðre menn … “For it often happens to the meek man, when he becomes powerful over other men …”, rendering the Latin “cum praesunt”.^[14][8][9] The same text has to sumum ricum menn “to some powerful man” for Latin “apud potentem quempiam virum”.^[18][8]

Semantic evolution

In most Old English texts the adjective means powerful, mighty or of high rank, said of men and of God, and only in a second group of uses rich, wealthy.^[9] Etymonline puts the sense “wealthy” in later Old English.^[19] In Beowulf it is still only “powerful, mighty, of high rank”.^[12] Said of things it means strong, powerful or potent.^[9][17]

It became Middle English riche, now English rich; the Middle English Dictionary traces it both to Old English and to the Old French adjective, itself of Germanic origin, comparing Old Norse ríkr.^[13]

Timeline

• 890×897 – ðonne he wierð riece ofer oðre menn “when he becomes powerful over other men” in the Pastoral Care (Hatton 20).^[14][8]
• s. x¹ or x²/⁴ – se cyning & þa ricostan men drincað myran meolc, & þa unspedigan & þa þeowan drincað medo “the king and the richest men drink mare's milk, and the poor and the slaves drink mead” in the Old English Orosius (Tollemache manuscript).^[20][8]
• s. x/xi – powerful, mighty, of high rank in the Beowulf manuscript.^[16][12]
• s. x ex. – the rich man set against the poor man in Ælfric's Catholic Homilies I.^[21][9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. of persons: powerful, mighty, great, of high rank.^[9][12]
2. rich, wealthy.^[9][10]
3. of things: strong, powerful, potent.^[9][17]

Word family

• efenrīċe
• unrīċe

Descendants

• Middle English riche (→ English rich; Scots rich)^[1]