-riche

Middle English

Alternative forms

• -reche, -reiche, -ric, -rik, -rike, -rych, -ryche, -ryke
• -rice (Early Middle English)

Etymology

Inherited from Old English -rīċe, from rīċe (see riche "realm"), from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją, from Proto-Celtic *rīgyom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-ˌriːt͡ʃ(ə)/, (especially Northern) /-ˌriːk(ə)/
• (reduced) IPA^(key): /-rit͡ʃ(ə)/, (especially Northern) /-rik(ə)/

Suffix

-riche (plural -riches or (early) -richen)

1. Forms nouns denoting a realm or polity; -dom
2. Forms nouns denoting an office, domain, or jurisdiction; -ric

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -riche

Descendants

• English: -ric (obsolete -rick)
• Scots: -ric, -rick, -rik