Raj
|
|
In many Indian languages, Raj literally means Prince or Royalty.
The word is often used to refer to the British Raj: the period of direct colonial rule of India by the British Empire.
Etymology
Raj is a particularly striking example of a word with a common Indo-European root with many words related to rulers or ruling in European languages. For example:
- Old High German: richi (Modern German: Reich)
- Old English: rice (Modern English: rich, regent)
- Proto-Indo-European: *reg
- Latin: regalis, regere, rex
- Old Prussian: reiks
- Old Norse: rike (as in medieval Norwegian Gårdarike, or Modern Swedish: Rike).
See also the list of words of disputed pronunciation