English
regime
Regime comes from Latin regimen ‘direction, government’, from regō ‘to rule’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-1‘to straighten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵeti1‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regō1reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō1‘to rule’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregimen2‘direction, government’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600regime2
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500regime2
- Englishearliest quotation 1988regime2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin regimen
- 2 Wiktionary, English regime
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1988, Cheryl Clarke, Still Shouting Down The Silence: “For three weeks Lorde engages in a regime of…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, Latin regimen‘to straighten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵetiWiktionary, Latin regimen‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regōWiktionary, Latin regimenreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregōWiktionary, Latin regimen‘to rule’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregimenWiktionary, English regime‘direction, government’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600regimeWiktionary, English regime
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500regimeWiktionary, English regime
- Englishearliest quotation 1988regimeWiktionary, English regime. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1988, Cheryl Clarke, Still Shouting Down The Silence: “For three weeks Lorde engages in a regime of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
right, real, rich, royal, correct, regular, rank, roy, radar, arrangement, arrange, rack, rogue, interrogation, raj, rex, rake, dresser, rector, rani, regency, regal, undress, rajah, dressage, rhesus, eldritch, riel, derailleur, rectilinear, dirigible, interregnum, retch, 75 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti ‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’
through Proto-Italic *regō
resource, regional, ruler, directory, erectile, erectus, erector, 37 more
through Latin regō ‘to rule’
source, director, rule, direction, address, direct, dress, region, resurrection, regulate, erect, insurrection, regent, rectify, rectum, droit, rectification, dirge, incorrigible, irregularity, rectitude, recto, rectus, derecho, regula, corregidor, regio, 47 more
through Latin regimen ‘direction, government’
Today it means
noun Mode of rule or management.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “regime”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin regimen. 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- / regime