rihhi

Old High German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /riːxːi/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz, a derivative of *rīks (“king, ruler”), itself a borrowing from Proto-Celtic *rīxs, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“king”).

Cognate with Old Saxon rīki, Dutch rijk, Old Frisian rīke, Old English rīċe, Old Norse ríkr, Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (reikeis).

Adjective

rīhhi

1. rich

Descendants

• Middle High German: rīche
  • German: reich
  • Yiddish: רײַך (raykh)
• → Italian: ricco
• → Sicilian: riccu

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją, itself either a substantivised *rīkijaz (“rich, mighty”) or a borrowing from Proto-Celtic *rīgyom (“kingdom”), from *rīxs (“king”) (compare Irish rí), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“king”).

Compare Old Dutch and Old Saxon rīki, Old Frisian rīke, Old English rīce, Old Norse ríki, Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹 (reiki).

Noun

rīhhi n

1. empire, kingdom, realm

Declension

Declension of rīhhi (neuter ja-stem)

case	singular	plural
nominative	rīhhi	rīhhi
accusative	rīhhi	rīhhi
genitive	rīhhes	rīhho
dative	rīhhe	rīhhim
instrumental	rīhhu	—

Descendants

• German: Reich
  • → English: Reich
  • → Polish: Reich
  • → Russian: рейх (rejx)
• → Proto-Slavic:
  • Polish: rzesza
  • Czech: říše
  • Slovak: ríše

References

1. Joseph Wright, 'An Old High German Primer, Second Edition'
2. Köbler, Gerhard, Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, (6. Auflage) 2014