rich
/rɪtʃ/
adjective
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*rīkijaz — ruler, king, powerful
Overview
Meaning Now
- Having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy.
- Possessing a large quantity of something desirable; abundant.
- Containing a large proportion of fat, sugar, or other rich ingredients.
Literal older meaning
powerful, ruler
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
rīce
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word is cognate with Latin 'rex' (king) and 'regere' (to rule). Its shift from meaning 'ruling/powerful' to 'wealthy' reflects a societal transition where power became synonymous with the possession of material goods.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*rēg-
“to move in a straight line, to rule”
Base of words relating to kingship.
- Proto-Germanic
*rīkijaz
“powerful, mighty, ruler”
- Old English
rīce
“powerful, strong, of high rank”
- Middle English
riche
“wealthy, opulent, sumptuously dressed”
Influenced by Old French 'riche'.
Connections
Word parts
rich
root
wealthy, powerful
Related across languages
German
reich
rich
Dutch
rijk
rich
Old French
riche
powerful, wealthy
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Related to rich
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.