Etymograph

English

irregible

Irregible comes from Latin irregibilis ‘ungovernable’, from regibilis ‘governable”, “tractable’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-1‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵeti1‘to straighten’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regō1reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō2‘to rule or govern’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregibilis3‘governable”, “tractable’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEirregibilis3‘ungovernable’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1979irregible3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin rego, which cites Rix
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin regibilis
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English irregible
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1979, Indonesian Journal of Demography, XI-XV: “According to Lipscombe in 1927, many Javanese travelled to…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, Latin rego, which cites Rix‘to straighten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵetiWiktionary, Latin rego, which cites Rix‘to straighten’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regōWiktionary, Latin rego, which cites Rixreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregōWiktionary, Latin regibilis‘to rule or govern’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregibilisWiktionary, English irregible‘governable”, “tractable’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEirregibilisWiktionary, English irregible‘ungovernable’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1979irregibleWiktionary, English irregible. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1979, Indonesian Journal of Demography, XI-XV: “According to Lipscombe in 1927, many Javanese travelled to…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’

right, real, rich, royal, regular, correct, rank, roy, radar, arrangement, rack, rogue, arrange, rex, raj, interrogation, rake, dresser, rector, rani, regal, regency, undress, rajah, dressage, rhesus, eldritch, riel, rectilinear, derailleur, retch, interregnum, dirigible, 72 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti ‘to straighten’

ana, anorexia, 39 more

through Proto-Italic *regō

regional, resource, ruler, directory, regiment, regimen, erectile, erectus, erector, 34 more

through Latin regō ‘to rule or govern’

source, director, address, rule, direction, dress, direct, region, realm, regime, regulate, resurrection, erect, regent, rectify, insurrection, rectum, droit, rectification, dirge, irregularity, recto, rectitude, rectus, derecho, incorrigible, regula, regio, corregidor, 46 more

Today it means

adj Not regible; ungovernable, unmanageable, intractable.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “irregible”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin rego, Latin regibilis. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- / irregible

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