Etymograph

English

rightly

Rightly comes from Old English rihtlīċe ‘rightly, justly’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-1‘to righten’root named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rehtalīkê1reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rehtalīkā1reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rihtlīċe1‘rightly, justly’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ryȝtly1
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1671rightly1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English rightly
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1671, John Milton, The Second Book: “Princes, Heavens antient Sons, Æthereal Thrones, / Demonian Spirits…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, English rightly‘to righten’root named by Wiktionary
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rehtalīkêWiktionary, English rightlyreconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rehtalīkāWiktionary, English rightlyreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150rihtlīċeWiktionary, English rightly‘rightly, justly’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ryȝtlyWiktionary, English rightly
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1671rightlyWiktionary, English rightly. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1671, John Milton, The Second Book: “Princes, Heavens antient Sons, Æthereal Thrones, / Demonian Spirits…”

Linked words

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

real, director, source, region, regular, rule, direction, address, direct, royal, correct, dress, rich, rank, regime, arrangement, roy, radar, arrange, rack, ana, rex, rogue, regulate, resurrection, interrogation, raj, erect, regent, rake, rector, regal, regency, insurrection, rectify, anorexia, rani, rectum, upright, rajah, 105 more

Today it means

adv In a right manner; correctly, justifiably.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “rightly”. 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- / rightly

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