riche

See also: Riche and -riche

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French riche (“rich”), from Old French riche (“rich, wealthy”), from Frankish *rīkī (“rich”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“rich, powerful”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct, make right”). Akin to Old High German rīhhi (“rich”) (German reich (“rich”)), Old English rīċe (“rich”) (modern English rich). More at rich.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁiʃ/

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iʃ

Adjective

riche (plural riches)

1. rich (possessing wealth)

   Antonym: pauvre

   Ses parents étant riches, il se permet de porter des vêtements à la mode

   His parents are rich, so he can wear fashionable clothes

Synonyms

• (Louisiana, Cajun French) argenté

Derived terms

• nouveau riche
• riche comme Crésus
• riche comme un Argentin
• rime riche

Related terms

• richard
• richement
• richesse

Descendants

• Louisiana Creole: rish

Further reading

• “riche”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• chéri, chier

Galician

Verb

riche

1. inflection of richar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative
2. (reintegrationist norm, less recommended) second-person singular preterite indicative of rir

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrit͡ʃ(ə)/, /ˈriːt͡ʃ(ə)/

Etymology 1

From Old English rīċe (“mighty, rich”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“powerful, rich”), from *rīks, an early borrowing from Proto-Celtic *rīxs, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs.

Alternative forms

• rech, reche, rich, ruche, rych, ryche
• reke, rik, rike (Northern)
• rice (Early Middle English)

Adjective

riche (plural and weak singular riche, comparative richere, superlative richest)

1. Rich, wealthy (possessing wealth):
   1. Fertile, bounteous; providing wealth.
   2. Expensive, precious; of high value.
2. Fine, marvellous; high-quality:
   1. Ornate, splendid; highly detailed.
   2. Efficacious, useful, powerful.
   3. (rare) Finely-attired.
3. Strong, mighty (possessing strength):
   1. Profuse, lavish (in an attribute or quality):
   2. Potent, powerful (of a ruler or official)
      • p. 1154, “AD 1129”, in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS. Laud Misc. 636, continuation), Peterborough, folio 87, verso; republished at Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 2018 February 8:

        ſe an ƿæſ ᵹehaten petruſ · he ƿæſ munec of clunni ·⁊ ƿeaſ boren of þa ricceſte men of rome · mid him helden ða of rome ·⁊ ſe duc of ſicilie ·

        One was called Peter; he was a monk from Cluny who was descended from Rome's most powerful men. The people of Rome and the duke of Sicily sided with him.

   3. Belonging to the nobility; high-ranking.
4. Intense; loud (in sound), deep (in colour)
5. Renowned, respectable; having a good reputation.

Related terms

• richedom
• richely
• richen
• richenesse
• richesse

 

Descendants

• English: rich
• Scots: rich
• Yola: reeche

Noun

riche

1. The rich and powerful; high-ranking people.
2. A rich or powerful individual.

Descendants

• English: rich

Adverb

riche

1. Richly, marvellously.

Descendants

• English: rich
• Scots: rich

References

• “rī̆che, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “rī̆che, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old English rīċe (“kingdom”, see -riche), from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją, from Proto-Celtic *rīgyom.

Alternative forms

• ryche
• rik, rike, ryk (Northern)
• rice (Early Middle English)

Noun

riche (plural riches or (early) richen) (chiefly poetic)

1. The realm of a king; a kingdom.

   Synonyms: kinedom, kineriche, kingdom, kingriche

   • 1477, Blind Harry, The Wallace:

     Bot Bruce was knawin weyll ayr off this kynrik; For he had rycht, we call no man him lik. Bot Wallace thriss this kynrik conquest haile, In Ingland fer socht battaill on that rik.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. Royal authority or dominion.

   Synonyms: kinedom, kineriche, kingdom, kingriche (rare)

3. (figurative) A divine kingdom or realm.

   Synonyms: kinedom, kineriche, kingdom, kingriche (rare)

   • 15th c., Le Bone Florence of Rome, Lines 1804-1809:

     Alther furste to the kyrke sche went, to here a masse verament, and preyed god of hys grace, that he wolde bryng hur to that ryke, that evyr more ys yoye in lyke, before hys worthy face;

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (figurative) Divine authority or power.

   Synonyms: kinedom, kineriche, kingdom

Related terms

• -riche
• rixen

 

References

• “rī̆che, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Verb

riche

1. Alternative form of richen

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French riche (“rich, wealthy”), from Frankish *rīkī (“rich”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“rich, powerful”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct, make right”). Akin to Old High German rīhhi (“rich”) (German reich (“rich”)), Old English rīċe (“rich”) (modern English rich).

Adjective

riche m or f (plural riches)

1. rich

Middle High German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈriːxɛ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz, a derivative of *rīks (“king, ruler”).

Adjective

rîche

2. rich

Declension

Positive forms of rîche

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	nonneuter	neuter
strong declension	nominative	rîcher	rîchiu	rîcheȥ	rîche	rîchiu
	genitive	rîches	rîcher(e)	rîches	rîcher(e)
	dative	rîchem(e)	rîcher(e)	rîchem(e)	rîchen
	accusative	rîchen	rîche	rîcheȥ	rîche	rîchiu
weak declension	nominative	dër rîche	diu rîche	daȥ rîche	die rîchen	diu rîchen
	genitive	dës rîchen	dër rîchen	dës rîchen	dër rîchen
	dative	dëm rîchen	dër rîchen	dëm rîchen	dën rîchen
	accusative	dën rîchen	die rîchen	daȥ rîche	die rîchen	diu rîchen

Descendants

• Alemannic German: riich
• Central Franconian: rich, riech, reich
  • Luxembourgish: räich
• German: reich
• Yiddish: רײַך (raykh)

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “rîche”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke‎^[1], Stuttgart: S. Hirzel

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją, itself either a substantivised *rīkijaz (“rich, mighty”) or a borrowing from Proto-Celtic *rīgiom (“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

rîche n

2. empire, kingdom, realm

Declension

Declension of rîche (neuter, a-stem)

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	daȥ	rîche	diu	rîche
genitive	eines	dës	rîches	dër	rîche
dative	einem	dëm	rîche	dën	rîchen
accusative	ein	daȥ	rîche	diu	rîche

Descendants

• Bavarian: Reich
• German: Reich
  • → English: Reich
  • → Polish: Reich
  • → Russian: рейх (rejx)
• Luxembourgish: Räich

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “rîche”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke‎^[2], Stuttgart: S. Hirzel

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

Norman

Etymology

From Old French riche (“rich, wealthy”), from Frankish *rīkī (“rich”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“rich, powerful”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, direct, make right”). Akin to Old High German rīhhi (“rich”) (German reich (“rich”)), Old English rīċe (“rich”) (modern English rich).

Adjective

riche m or f

1. (Jersey) rich (possessing wealth)
   • 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎^[3], page 515:

     Ch'n'est pas les ciens qui labourent le pûs près du fossaï qui sont les pûs riches.

     It is not they who plough nearest the hedge who are the richest.

Derived terms

• richement (“richly; wealthily; expensively”)

Old French

Etymology

From Frankish *rīkī (“rich”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“rich, powerful”).

Adjective

riche m (oblique and nominative feminine singular riche)

1. rich (possessing wealth)

Descendants

• Middle French: riche
  • French: riche
• Norman: riche (Jèrriais)

Venetian

Adjective

riche

1. feminine plural of rico