realm English · revision 10256

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1290|origins=fro reaume|origins=la regimen}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɹɛlm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English reaume, rem, later realme,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) [[bor|fro|reaume|t=kingdom]], realme (modern French royaume),^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) probably from Gallo-Romance *regiminem, formed on Latin regimen, rule, government (see [[regimen]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) or perhaps from Vulgar Latin *regalimen, a kingdom, from rēgālis.^(Etymonline) The -l- came from the influence of Old French reial, royal (Latin rēgālis; see [[regal]], [[royal]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)^(NODE 1998) and the spelling realm became standard about 1600.^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A kingdom: about 1290 in the OED, probably before 1300 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The kingdom of heaven is from before 1340.^(OED 1989) The transferred sense, a sphere of activity, power or influence, is attested from the late 14th century,^(Etymonline) about 1374 in the OED,^(OED 1989) and the domain of an abstract quality or state from 1667.^(OED 1989) A primary zoogeographical division of the earth is from 1876.^(OED 1989) The kingdom sense is now chiefly rhetorical or found in set phrases such as ''peer of the realm''.^(OED 1989)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1290 – a kingdom.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1340 – the kingdom of heaven.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1374 – any sphere or region.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1600 – the spelling realm standard.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1667 – the domain of an abstract thing.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1876 – a zoogeographical region.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[kingdom]] or royal domain.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A field, sphere or province of activity or interest: ''the realm of science''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[underrealm]]

+ * [[unrealmed]]

+ * [[coin of the realm]]

+ * [[peer of the realm]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[regimen]]

+ * [[regal]]

+ * [[royal]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}