源etymfun
About

Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

English

right

/ɹaɪt/
Designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north, the side on which the heart is not located in most humans. This arrow points to the reader's right: →

    Etymology graph

    • inherited
    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
    React Flow
    Press enter or space to select a node. You can then use the arrow keys to move the node around. Press delete to remove it and escape to cancel.
    Press enter or space to select an edge. You can then press delete to remove it or escape to cancel.

    Click a node to zoom in · double-click to open it

    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English reȝt, right, righte, riht, riȝt, riȝte, ryght, ryȝt, from Old English reht, reoht, rieht, riht, ryht (“right,” also the word for “straight” and “direct”), from Proto-West Germanic *reht, from Proto-Germanic *rehtaz (“right, straight; just, morally upright”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtós (“right, straightened”), from *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten; to righten”).

    The Germanic adjective which has been used also as a noun since the common Germanic period.

    Cognates

    Cognate with Scots richt (“right”), Yola reights, rights (“rights”), North Frisian recht, rocht, rucht (“right”), Saterland Frisian gjucht (“right”), West Frisian rjocht (“straight”), Central Franconian rääch (“right”), Dutch recht (“straight”), German recht, Recht (“right”), Limburgish réët (“right”), Luxembourgish Recht, riets (“right”), riicht (“straight”), Yiddish רעכט (rekht, “right”), Danish ret (“right”), Faroese rættur (“right”), Icelandic réttur (“right”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk rett (“right”), Swedish rät (“straight”), rätt (“right”), Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (raihts, “straight; correct”). The Indo-European root is also the source of Breton reiñ (“to give”), Cornish ri (“to give; to grant; to present”), Irish reachd, reacht (“law, statute; authority; dispensation”), Scottish Gaelic reachd (“law, right; command, power”), Welsh rhoddi, rhoi (“to give; to put”), Latin rēctus (“led straight along; correct, right; just, lawful”), Ancient Greek ὀρεκτός (orektós, “stretched out; longed for”), Latvian redzēt (“to see”), Lithuanian regėti (“to see, view”), Avestan 𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬰𐬎 (ər^əzu, “straight”), Baluchi راست (rást, “right”), Central Kurdish ڕاست (rast, “right; straight”), Northern Kurdish rast (“straight; right; true; erect; direct”), Ossetian раст (rast, “honest, true; correct; exact; straight; fair; direct”), Persian راس (rās / râs), راست (râst, “straight; direct; true; erect”), Zazaki raşt (“right; straight”), Sanskrit ऋजु (ṛju, “straight; honest, sincere”).

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English right, righte, from Old English rihte, rehte (“right; rightly; due; directly; straight”), from Proto-Germanic *rehta, from *rehtaz (“right; straight”).

    Etymology 3

    From Middle English right, from Old English riht, reht, ġeriht (“that which is right, just, or proper”), from Proto-West Germanic *reht, from Proto-Germanic *rehtą (“a right”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵtom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵt- (“to straighten; direct”).

    Cognate with Dutch recht (“a right; privilege”), German Recht (“a right”), Danish ret (“a right”).

    Etymology 4

    From Middle English righten, reghten, riȝten, from Old English rihtan, ġerihtan (“to straighten, judge, set upright, set right”), from Proto-West Germanic *rihtijan, from Proto-Germanic *rihtijaną (“to straighten; rectify; judge”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵ- “to straighten”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishreȝt
      • inheritedOld Englishreht
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*reht
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*rehtaz “right, straight; just, morally upright”
            • inheritedProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtós “right, straightened”
              • partProto-Indo-European*-tós
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*rehtą “a right”
            • inheritedProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵtom
              • derivedProto-Indo-European*h₃reǵt- “to straighten; direct”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishright
      • inheritedOld Englishrihte
        • derivedProto-Germanic*rehta
      • inheritedOld Englishriht “straight; etc.”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishrighten
      • inheritedOld Englishrihtan
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*rihtijan
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*rihtijaną “to straighten; rectify; judge”

    Related: Scots richt, Yola reights, North Frisian recht, Saterland Frisian gjucht, West Frisian rjocht, Central Franconian rääch, Dutch recht, German recht, Limburgish réët, Luxembourgish Recht, Yiddish רעכט, Danish ret, Faroese rættur, Icelandic réttur, nb,nn rett, Swedish rät, Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃, Breton reiñ, Cornish ri, Irish reachd, Scottish Gaelic reachd, Welsh rhoddi, Latin rēctus, Ancient Greek ὀρεκτός

    Words built on it: by right, get right, right-hand, self-right

    Meanings

    adj
    1. Designating the side of the body which is positioned to the east if one is facing north, the side on which the heart is not located in most humans. This arrow points to the reader's right: →
    2. Clockwise, particularly when describing a change in direction or orientation.
    3. Complying with justice, correctness, or reason; correct, just, true. See also the interjection senses below.
    4. Appropriate, perfectly suitable; fit for purpose.
    5. Healthy, sane, competent.
    6. Real; veritable (used emphatically).
    adv
    1. On the right side.
    2. Towards the right side.
    3. Exactly, precisely.
    4. Immediately, directly.
    5. Very, extremely, quite.
    6. To a great extent or degree.
    intj
    1. Yes, that is correct; I agree.
    2. I have listened to what you just said and I acknowledge your assertion or opinion, regardless of whether I agree with it (opinion) or can verify it (assertion).
    3. Signpost word to change the subject in a discussion or discourse.
    4. Used to check listener engagement and (especially) agreement at the end of an utterance or each segment thereof.
    5. Used to add seriousness or decisiveness before a statement.
    noun
    1. That which complies with justice, law or reason.
    2. A legal, just or moral entitlement.
    3. The right side or direction.
    4. The right hand or fist.
    5. The authority to perform, publish, film, or televise a particular work, event, etc.; a copyright.
    6. The ensemble of right-wing political parties; political conservatives as a group.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: right