begonia rex | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

19 entries found.

"a king," 1610s, from Latin rex (genitive regis) "a king," related to regere "to keep straight, guide, lead, rule" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule;" source also of Sanskrit raj- "king;" Old Irish ri "king," genitive rig).

begonia (n.)

showy flowering plant native to warm regions, 1751, from French begonia (1706), named by French botanist Charles Plumier for Michel Bégon (1638-1710), French governor of Santo Domingo (Haiti) and patron of botany, + abstract noun ending -ia.

televangelist (n.)

1973, from tele(vision) + evangelist. Earliest usages are in reference to Rex Humbard (television evangelist is from 1958).

i.n.r.i.

ecclesiastical inscription, it stands for Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum ("Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," John xix.19).

regicide (n.)

1540s, "a king-killer, man who kills a king," formed from Latin rex (genitive regis) "king" (see regal) + -cide. Meaning "the killing of a king, crime of killing a king" is from c. 1600.

viceroy (n.)

person ruling as representative of a sovereign, 1520s, from French vice-roy, from Old French vice- "deputy" (see vice-) + roi "king," from Latin regem (nominative rex) "king," which is related to regere "to keep straight, guide, lead, rule" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule"). The species of American butterfly so called from 1881.

tyrannosaurus (n.)

carnivorous Cretaceous bipedal dinosaur, 1905, Modern Latin genus name, coined by H.F. Osborn (published 1906 in "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History" XXI, p.259) from Greek tyrannos "tyrant" (see tyrant) + -saurus. Abbreviated name T. rex attested by 1970 (apparently first as the band name).

Regina

fem. proper name, from Latin, literally "queen;" related to rex (genitive regis) "king" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule"). Cognate with Sanskrit rajni "queen," Welsh rhyain "maiden, virgin." The capital city of Saskatchewan was named 1882 by the then-governor general of Canada, Marquess of Lorne, in honor of Queen Victoria.

regal (adj.)

"kingly, pertaining to a king," late 14c., from Old French regal "royal" (12c., Modern French réal) and directly from Latin regalis "royal, kingly; of or belonging to a king, worthy of a king," from rex (genitive regis) "king," from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule." Related: Regally.

franc (n.)

French coin, late 14c., frank, from French franc; a name said to have been given because Medieval Latin Francorum Rex, "King of the Franks" (see Frank), was inscribed on gold coins first made during the reign of Jean le Bon (1350-64). Used of different gold and silver coins over the years; as the name of an official monetary unit of France from 1795.

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