Sunday, May 20, 2007

RICH and RIGHT - what it meant and what it means

For the indomitable vocabriented exam ahead, I am working towards expanding my vocabulary through reading etymological stuff periodically.

While looking for the origins of the word indomitable I stumbled upon this article and came across the origins of the word rich.

Some excerpts from the same.

"[the] words "rich" and "right" derive from the same Indo-European root"

"[the] word rich comes from a Teutonic root found in Gothic reiks. Originally "rich" meant someone who was powerful and mighty, noble and great. Because material wealth accumulated to those individuals the word now means merely that which is of great material possession or abundant physical wealth. The Roman, Keltic and Indian people retained the word for a noble ruler in that ancient Indo-European society."

"
The Rex was the exemplar of upright, proper and "straight" conduct. He was the moral leader of the community, the one entrusted with responsibility to ensure that all other members of the community also conducted themselves in a "straight" manner. He laid out the "rules" and "regulations" as well as the sacred areas. He was the one to keep everything "right." He made sure that all was done with respect to a higher moral allegiance. Thus he became a priest and the leader of the people. As time passed he began to take on more political responsibilities with less recognition of the moral and religious ones. Thus the title eventually came to mean the ruler or sovereign, the king."

Now I understand the myth of the right hand. Some mortals interpreted right as a direction/position while right should be interpreted as something which is "righteous".

Note that
"right hand of god" means ruling hand of god.
Oh my mortal pals, please interpret the language of your religious books in the right[eous] sense.

the roots : reg, rex, raj, regere, ri, righ, rego, rectus, koenig, reiks, rix, rect
the words : regal, region, regular,
regulate, right, righteous, king, rich, rectify

1 comment:

Nirav Desai (Nd) said...

I agreed with your statement on Prof. Arvind P. Kudchadker
I am studing at IPTG & he is Director General of our University.




Nirav Desai