*rehtaz

Reconstruction

The word is *rehtaz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *rextaz in Orel,^[3] and *rehta- in Kroonen, Köbler and Heidermanns.^[4][5][6] EWA writes *reχta-.^[7]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós (“right, straightened”);^[2][1] Kroonen writes *h₃reǵ-to-.^[4]

Morphology

A to-stem adjective formed to the root of *raka- and *rakjan-.^[4] Ringe lists it among the lexicalised PIE *-tó- adjectives, mostly formed to verb roots.^[8] He starts from *h₃r̥ǵtós, remade as *h₃reǵtós, one of a few fossilised examples of a PIE voiced dorsal stop that became *h before *t.^[1] Orel derives it from *rekanan.^[3]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (raihts) in Gothic, Old Norse réttr in Old Norse, and Old English riht, Old Frisian riucht, Old Saxon reht and Old High German reht in West Germanic.^[4] Heidermanns calls it common Germanic.^[6] Its cognates are Avestan rašta- (“straight”), Ancient Greek ὀρεκτός (orektós) and Latin rēctus (“straight”).^[4][3] LÄGLOS gives *reχta-z with Proto-Norse *rehtaR as the source proposed for Finnish rehti (“honest, straight”), but finds Middle Low German or Swedish sources discussed as well.^[9]

Competing analyses

The noun "right" had two shapes: Old Norse réttr (“right, law”) needs a u-stem *rehtu-, whereas the nouns of West Germanic point to a neuter a-stem.^[10][11] Orel heads the noun *rextuz and compares Old Irish recht (“law”).^[12] Bammesberger thinks that in West Germanic the a-stem replaced the old tu-stem.^[13]

Meanings

1. straight, upright^[4][6][2]
2. right, correct^[6][5][2]
3. morally upright, just^[2]

In Old Norse the adjective also meant "correct",^[4] and in Old Frisian also "lawful" and "true".^[14]

Derivatives

• *rehtą "right, legal or moral entitlement";^[2] Köbler *rehta- n.^[5]
• *rihtijaną "to straighten, to direct";^[2] Kroonen writes *rehtjan-, a denominative verb,^[4] Orel *rextjanan.^[15]
• *unrehtaz "wrong, unjust" and *rehtalīkaz "just, lawful".^[2]
• *rextīn "justice", in Orel.^[16]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (raihts, “right, straight, just”)^[17]
• Old Norse: réttr (“right, straight, just”)^[18]
• Old English: riht (“right, correct, straight, just”)^[19]
• Old Frisian: riucht (“right, lawful, just, true”)^[14]
• Old Saxon: reht (“right, just, true”)^[20]
• Old Dutch: reht (“right”), in Köbler's list^[5]
• Old High German: reht (“straight, good, right”)^[4][7]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 134
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *rehtaz
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rextaz
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 408
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *rehta-
6. ^ a b c d Heidermanns, Frank (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektive, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. rehta-
7. ^ a b Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. reht¹
8. ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 326
9. ^ 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. 141
10. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. reht²
11. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 442
12. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rextuz
13. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 157
14. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. riucht
15. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rextjanan
16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *rextīn
17. ^ Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 233
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. rēttr
19. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. riht
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. reht