Etymologically
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regalis

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [reːˈɡaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈɡaː.lis][1]

Forms

rēgālis (neuter rēgāle, adverb rēgāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin rēx (“king”) + -ālis, from the stem rēg-.[2][1] The noun is inherited from Proto-Italic *rēg- (“king”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rēǵs (“ruler, king”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius speaks of men who keep guard over the king's person.[2][4] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant belonging to a king or a monarchy, royal, as Cicero calls the monarchic form of state rēgāle genus cīvitātis.[2][6] It also meant proper to a king, regal, splendid, as in Virgil's palace bright with royal luxury.[2]

In medieval Latin a mansus rēgālis was a farm of exceptional size, from the royal estates.[7] British writers used it of things belonging to the Crown, and piscis rēgālis was a fish reserved to the sovereign.[8] Through Old French roial it gave English royal in the mid-13th century, and English regal in the late 14th.[9] Its inherited forms include Spanish real and Portuguese real.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius speaks of the king's bodyguard.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of monarchy as a form of state.[6][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil describes a palace bright with royal luxury.[2][5]
  • mid-13th century – English royal “fit for a king” is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of a king, royal; monarchic.[2]
  2. Kingly, regal, splendid.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Belonging to the Crown.[8]

Word family

  • rēgāliolus
  • rēgālia
  • rēgāliter
  • rēgia
  • rēx
  • English royal
  • English regal
  • English regalia

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com