rich (English)

Where does "rich" come from?

The English word 'rich' descends from the Old English 'rīċe', which meant 'powerful', 'mighty', or 'wealthy'[1]. This term traces back to the Proto-West Germanic 'rīkī' and the Proto-Germanic 'rīkijaz', which described someone as 'kingly' or 'powerful'[1]. The root is ultimately linked to the Proto-Germanic 'rīks', an early borrowing from the Proto-Celtic 'rīxs'[1][4], which itself stems from the Proto-Indo-European '*h₃rḗǵs'[6][7]. This Indo-European base is derived from '*h₃reǵ-', a term meaning 'to straighten' or 'to righten'[6]. The English development was further reinforced by the Old French 'riche', which originated from a Frankish source sharing the same Germanic ancestry[1][9]. Over time, the meaning shifted from a primary focus on regal power and high rank to the modern sense of material wealth and abundance[1].

Open questions

• The exact path of the early borrowing of 'rīks' from Proto-Celtic is reconstructed based on linguistic comparison. [1] [4]

Full etymology tree

• rich (English), 'Wealthy: having a lot of money and possessions.'
  • inherited riche (Middle English), 'Rich, wealthy (possessing wealth):'
    • inherited rice (Old English), 'kingdom, empire'
      • inherited *rīkī (Proto-West Germanic), 'mighty, powerful'
        • inherited *rīkijaz (Proto-Germanic), 'kingly, royal, noble'
          • derived riche (Old French), 'rich (possessing wealth)'
          • derived *rīks (Proto-Germanic), 'king, ruler'
            • borrowed *rīxs (Proto-Celtic), 'king'
              • inherited *h₃rḗǵs (Proto-Indo-European), 'king, ruler'
    • influence riche (Old French), 'rich (possessing wealth)'
      • borrowed *rīkijaz (Proto-Germanic), 'kingly, royal, noble'
        • derived *rīks (Proto-Germanic), 'king, ruler'
          • borrowed *rīxs (Proto-Celtic), 'king'
            • inherited *h₃rḗǵs (Proto-Indo-European), 'king, ruler'

Ancestors

• *h₃reǵ- (Proto-Indo-European)
• riche (Middle English)
• rice (Old English)
• *rīkī (Proto-West Germanic)
• *rīkijaz (Proto-Germanic)
• *rīks (Proto-Germanic)
• *rīxs (Proto-Celtic)
• *h₃rḗǵs (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

• riche (Old French)

Descendants and derived words

• antirich (English)
• be part of life's rich tapestry (English)
• bird-rich (English)
• cash rich (English)
• derich (English)
• engine-rich (English)
• filthy rich (English)
• generich (English)
• get-rich-quick (English)
• get rich quicker (English)
• hood rich (English)
• ice-rich (English)

Sources

1. rich (English) - Wiktionary
2. rice (Old English) - Wiktionary
3. riche (Middle English) - Wiktionary
4. rīks (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
5. rīkijaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
6. h₃rḗǵs (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
7. rīxs (Proto-Celtic) - Wiktionary
8. rīkī (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
9. riche (Old French) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris