Online Etymology Dictionary

rich: O.E. rice "wealthy, powerful, mighty," from P.Gmc. *rikijaz (cf. O.N. rikr, O.H.G. rihhi "ruler, powerful, rich," O.Fris. rike, Du. rijk, Ger. reich "rich," Goth. reiks "ruler, powerful, rich"), borrowed from a Celtic source akin to Gaulish *rix, O.Ir. ri (gen. rig) "king," from PIE base *reg- "move in a straight line," hence, "direct, rule" (see rex). The form of the word infl. in M.E. by O.Fr. riche "wealthy," from Frank. *riki "powerful," from the Gmc. source. The evolution of the word reflects a connection between wealth and power in the ancient world. Of food and colors, from early 14c.; of sounds, from 1590s. Sense of "entertaining, amusing" is recorded from 1760. The noun meaning "the wealthy" was in O.E.
Croesus: from L., from Gk. Kroisis, 6c. B.C.E. king of Lydia in Asia Minor, famously wealthy; hence "rich man" or in other allusions to riches, from late 14c.
swell (n.): early 13c., "a morbid swelling," from swell (v.). In ref. to a rise of the sea, it is attested from c.1600. The meaning "wealthy, elegant person" is first recorded 1786; hence the adj. meaning "fashionably dressed or equipped" (1810), both from the notion of "puffed-up, pompous" behavior. The sense of "good, excellent" first occurs 1897, and as a stand-alone expression of satisfaction it is recorded from 1930 in Amer.Eng.
successful: 1580s, from success + -ful. Originally any kind of success; since late 19c. it has tended to mean "wealthy" unless otherwise indicated. Related: Successfully.
burd: poetic word for "woman, lady" in old ballads; later "young lady, maiden;" c.1200, perhaps from O.E. byrde "wealthy, well-born." Or a metathesis of bryd "bride." The masculine equivalent was berne.
wealth: mid-13c., "happiness," also "prosperity in abundance of possessions or riches," from M.E. wele "well-being" (see weal (1)) on analogy of health. Wealthy as a synonym for "rich" is recorded from early 15c.
enrich: late 14c., "to make wealthy," from O.Fr. enrichir, from en- "make, put in" + riche "rich" (see rich). Scientific sense of "to increase the abundance of a particular isotope in some material" is first attested 1945. Related: Enriched; enriching.
posh: 1918, of uncertain origin; no evidence for the common derivation from an acronym of port outward, starboard home, supposedly the shipboard accommodations of wealthy British traveling to India on the P & O Lines (to keep their cabins out of the sun); see objections outlined in G. Chowdharay-Best, "Mariner's Mirror," Jan. 1971. More likely from slang posh "a dandy" (1890), from thieves' slang meaning "money" (1830), originally "coin of small value, halfpenny," possibly from Romany posh "half."
opulence: c.1510, from M.Fr. opulence, from L. opulentia, from opulentus "wealthy," dissimilated from *op-en-ent-, related to ops "wealth, power, resources," opus "work, labor, exertion," from PIE base *op- "to work, produce in abundance" (see opus).
plutocracy: 1652, from Gk. ploutokratia "rule or power of the wealthy or of wealth," from ploutos "wealth" (see Pluto) + -kratia "rule," from kratos "rule, power." Plutocrat is 1850.
fat (adj.): O.E. fætt, originally a contracted pp. of fættian "to cram, stuff," from P.Gmc. *faitaz "fat" (cf. O.N. feitr, Du. vet, Ger. feist), from PIE *poid- "to abound in water, milk, fat, etc." (cf. Gk. piduein "to gush forth"), from base *poi- "sap, juice" (cf. Skt. payate "swells, exuberates," Lith. pienas "milk," Gk. pion "fat, wealthy," L. pinguis "fat"). Fig. sense of "best or most rewarding part" is from 1570; teen slang meaning "attractive, up to date" (also later phat) is attested from 1951. Fat cat "privileged and rich person" is from 1928; fat chance "no chance at all" attested from 1906. Fathead is from 1842; fat-witted is from 1596; fatso is first recorded 1944.
coon: short for raccoon, 1742, Amer.Eng. It was the nickname of Whig Party members in U.S. c.1848-60, as the raccoon was the party's symbol, and also had associations with frontiersmen (who stereotypically wore raccoon-skin caps), which probably was ultimately the source of the Whig Party association (the party's 1840 campaign was built on a false image of wealthy William Henry Harrison as a rustic frontiersman). The insulting U.S. meaning "black person" was in use by 1837, no doubt boosted by the enormously popular blackface minstrel act "Zip Coon" (George Washington Dixon) which debuted in New York City in 1834, and is said ult. to be from Port. barracoos "building constructed to hold slaves for sale." It is perhaps much older (one of the lead characters in the 1767 colonial comic opera "The Disappointment" is a black man named Raccoon). Coon's age is 1843, Amer.Eng., probably an alteration of British a crow's age.
play (v.): O.E. plegian "to exercise, frolic, perform music," from W.Gmc. *plegan (cf. M.Du. pleyen "to rejoice, be glad"), of uncertain origin. Opposed to work (v.) since late 14c. Playground is attested from 1780. Playmate is from 1640s in the innocent sense, from 1954 in the sexual sense; playboy "wealthy bon vivant" is from 1829; fem. equivalent playgirl is first recorded 1934. Plaything is from 1675. To play up "emphasize" is from 1909; to play down "minimize" is from 1930. To play with oneself "masturbate" is from 1896; play for keeps is from 1861, originally of marbles or other children's games with tokens. To play the (something) card is attested from 1886; to play fair is from c.1440. Play-dough is first recorded 1959. To play (something) safe is from 1911; to play favorites is attested from 1902. For play the field see field.
silk: O.E. sioloc, seoloc "silk," ultimately from an Asian word (cf. Chinese si "silk," Manchurian sirghe, Mongolian sirkek) borrowed into Gk. as serikos "silken," serikon "silk" (cf. Gk. Seres, a name for an oriental people from whom the Greeks got silk). The use of -l- instead of -r- in the Balto-Slavic form of the word (cf. O.C.S. shelku, Lith. silkai) apparently passed into English via the Baltic trade and may reflect a Chinese dialectal form, or a Slavic alteration of the Gk. word. Also found in O.N. silki but not elsewhere in Gmc. Western cultivation began 552 C.E., when agents from Byzantium impersonating monks smuggled silkworms and mulberry leaves out of China. In ref to the "hair" of corn, c.1662, Amer.Eng. Silken is O.E. seolcen; silky is attested from 1611. Silkworm is O.E. seolcwyrm. Figurative use of silk-stocking (adj.) for "wealthy" is attested from 1798, Amer.Eng. Silk-screen is first attested 1930.