Riht

Riht is the Old English form of the word that would become modern English right. It functioned as both an adjective and an adverb, with a semantic range linked to correctness, propriety, straightness, and justice. In Old English texts from the early medieval period, riht was used to describe things that were proper or straight, as well as actions carried out in a proper or just manner. The term also appeared in compounds and in derived forms that sustained notions of legitimacy, direction, and fit.

Etymology and related forms. Riht derives from a Proto-Germanic root, cognate with Old Norse rett, Dutch recht, and German Recht. The sense of rightness or correctness in Old English gradually expanded into the range of meanings familiar in modern English, including moral rightness, lawful entitlement, and directional sense (toward the right-hand side).

Usage and development. In Old English, riht could modify nouns to denote suitability or legitimacy and used predicatively with be-forms to express states of being correct or proper. It also gave rise to adverbial and adjectival derivatives that expressed manner (rightly) and quality (proper, righteous) in later West Germanic languages. The semantic core—the idea of what is correct, fair, or straight—survives in the modern word right.

Modern descendant and context. Today, right has a broad set of related senses, including correctness, entitlement, direction, and moral justice. The Old English form riht is primarily of historical and linguistic interest, illustrating how the modern word evolved from a term tied to straightness and propriety in early English.

See also: Right (word), Old English language, Germanic languages.