An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Reich

by Friedrich Kluge

Reich, neuter, ‘empire, realm, kingdom,’ from Middle High German rîche, neuter, Old High German rîhhi, neuter, ‘country under sovereign sway, kingdom, Roman-German emperor, authority, dominion’; corresponding to Gothic reiki, neuter, ‘realm, dominion, power, authority,’ Anglo-Saxon rîče, neuter, ‘realm, dominion, reign,’ Old Saxon rîki, neuter, ‘realm, dominion, authority.’ A derivative with the suffix ja from Teutonic *rîk-, which has been preserved only in Gothic as reiks, ‘ruler, chief’ (yet also in proper names like Friedrich and Heinrich). The rare Old High German strong verb rîhhan, ‘to reign over, take possession of, be mighty,’ is properly a derivative of *rîk-, ‘ruler,’ which again is a pre-Teutonic loan-word from the equivalent Keltic rîg (for another word, probably borrowed from Keltic at the same period, see under Amt). The latter is primitively allied to Latin rêg-em, Sanscrit râjan, ‘king’ (Aryan rég- would be originally akin to Teutonic rêk, râk), which are connected with the Aryan root rē̆́g, ‘to direct’ (see recht). See the following word.