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*rīkijaz

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-Germanic word *rīkijaz

Confidence
Established
Ultimate origin
Proto-Germanic *rīks

Reconstruction

The adjective is *rīkijaz in Wiktionary and LÄGLOS,[1][2] *rīkjaz in Orel,[3] *rīkja- beside *rīka- in Köbler,[4] and *rīk(j)a- in Kroonen.[5] Heidermanns sets it up as a ja-stem because of its derivatives.[6]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Germanic *rīks (“ruler, king”),[1][3] which Kroonen takes as a Proto-Germanic loan from Celtic, compare Old Irish rí (“king”), ultimately from PIE *h₃rēǵ-, like Latin rēx (“king”).[7]

Morphology

A ja-stem adjective.[6] Heidermanns sees it either as an independent jo-formation to the root noun or as the neuter noun "rule, realm" turned into an adjective; in both cases he takes the basic meaning as "kingly, royal".[6]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (reikeis) in Gothic, Old Norse ríkr in Old Norse, and Old English rīce, Old Frisian rīk, Old Saxon rīki and Old High German rīhhi in West Germanic.[3] The Gothic adjective occurs only once, in the genitive plural, "of the nobles", at Nehemiah 6:17.[8] It was borrowed into Finnic: LÄGLOS derives Finnish rikas (“rich”) from *rīkijaz, Proto-Norse *rīkijaR.[2] Heidermanns notes that the meaning "rich" appears only late.[6]

Competing analyses

The root noun Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (reiks, “ruler”) is borrowed from Celtic in Kroonen, Orel and Heidermanns.[7][9][6] Heidermanns explains the ī by the Celtic change of IE ē to ī, and reports Normier's view that the Celtic *rīg- entered Germanic with a substituted sound, not through the sound shift, since Germanic had only a fricative g.[6] Kroonen, by contrast, holds that the Celtic word for "king", unlike the loan behind *ambahta- "servant", entered Germanic before the great sound shifts.[10] For the neuter "realm", Orel allows either a substantivised adjective or a direct loan from Celtic,[11] and Casaretto notes that a Germanic formation to the root noun is also possible.[12]

Meanings

  1. kingly, royal, noble[1][6]
  2. mighty, powerful[1][4][5]
  3. rich[1][4][5]

Gothic used the adjective for "the nobles",[8] Old Norse for "mighty, powerful",[3] and Old High German for "rich, mighty".[3]

Derivatives

  • *rīkijadōmaz "might, dominion; wealth",[13] Orel's *rīkja-đōmaz.[14]
  • *rīkijaną "to rule, to reign",[15] Orel's *rīkjanan.[16]
  • The neuter *rīkjan "power, realm" in Orel,[11] *rīkja- in Kroonen,[5] with the compound *kuninʒa-rīkjan "kingdom".[17]

Reflexes

  • Gothic: 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (reikeis, “powerful, mighty, noble”)[18]
  • Old Norse: ríkr (“mighty”)[19]
  • Old English: rīce (“mighty, strong, great, high-ranking, rich”)[20]
  • Old Frisian: rīke (“mighty; rich”)[21]
  • Old Saxon: rīki (“powerful, mighty, ruling, rich”)[22]
  • Old High German: rīhhi (“rich, mighty, influential”)[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rīkijaz
  2. ^ a b Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 156
  3. ^ a b c d e Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rīkjaz
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *rīkja-
  5. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 413
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. 450–451
  7. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 412
  8. ^ a b Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. reiks
  9. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rīkz
  10. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 24
  11. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rīkjan
  12. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. reiki
  13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rīkijadōmaz
  14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rīkja-đōmaz
  15. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rīkijaną
  16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rīkjanan
  17. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *kuninʒa-rīkjan
  18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. reikeis
  19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. rīkr
  20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rīce
  21. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. rīke
  22. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rīki
  23. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. rīhhi
Cite this entry

“*rīkijaz.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gem-pro/*r%C4%ABkijaz. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

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