Re: CHAT National toponyms (was: OT Caution!! IRA funding)

Andreas Johansson scripsit:

> _Rice_?
>
> I suggest we resurrect this word, and henceforth call Hitler's state
> "the Third Rice".
Third Rich would be more like it.  Indeed, the word ri:ce in Old English
could mean (in the nominative singular) either "rich" or "kingdom";
in later English the latter sense was lost.  This Germanic word also
got into French via Franconian (presumably), but was itself a very old
Celtic borrowing (stem ri:g-y) as the palatalization shows, rather than
a direct reflex of PIE reg-.  However, the -ric of "bishopric" and the
"-ritch" of "eldritch" (a word that would probably be almost forgotten
if H.P. Lovecraft hadn't used it) are survivals of the older meaning:
"eldritch" < elf + ri:ce, indeed.

There are plenty of direct reflexes of reg-, though: right, rake, rack,
and reck(less) to start with.  To these we can add oodles of borrowings of
Latin regere/rectus and its compounds; likewise Latin rex, some direct,
some through French (giving us pairs like regal vs. royal) and the coin
riyal (< Arabic < Spanish).  Anorexia has the same source, where the
-o- is from original H3 in the root; there is also Skt/Hindi raja and
its relatives.  Latin rogare and its compounds are from the o-grade,
probably including ergo < e-rogo, as are rake and rack; finally, there
is raita, Indian-style yogurt with chopped fruit.

--
A witness cannot give evidence of his           John Cowan
age unless he can remember being born.          jcowan@reutershealth.com
  --Judge Blagden                               http://www.ccil.org/~cowan