Regal

See also: regal, regał, regál, and régal

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁeˈɡaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Etymology 1

mehrere Bücherregale ― several bookcases

Early 17th century, of unclear origin. Hypotheses include:

• Derived from Proto-Germanic *rigǭ ~ *rīgǭ ~ *rīhǭ, whence German Riege and Reihe (both originally “row, line”).
• Derived from Latin rēgula, whence German Riegel (“bar, latch”), Dutch richel (“bar, latch”, dialectally also “rack”).

In both of the above cases the derivative must have been influenced by Latin or Romance. Earlier Low German Riole (“shelving”) points to confluence with a word for “drainage, sewer” (Dutch riool, Middle Low German reōle), which may ultimately be from the same sources as above. Another theory conjectures an Italian *rigale, derived from riga (“line”) by analogy with scaffale (from scaffa). Finally, formal influence by etymology 2 below is possible.

Noun

Regal n (strong, genitive Regals or Regales, plural Regale)

1. a rack of shelves, shelving, a shelf (in this collective sense), e.g. an open bookcase

   Synonym: (vaguer in meaning) Gestell

Usage notes

• The plural Regale refers to several such racks. The individual horizontal boards are called Regalbretter.

Declension

Declension of Regal [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Regal	die	Regale
genitive	eines	des	Regals, Regales	der	Regale
dative	einem	dem	Regal, Regale1	den	Regalen
accusative	ein	das	Regal	die	Regale

¹Now rare, see notes.

Alternative forms

• Real (obsolete, 18-19th centuries)

Derived terms

• Aktenregal
• Bücherregal
• Kühlregal
• Lebensmittelregal
• Regalablage
• Regalbrett
• Regalebene
• Regalfach
• Warenregal

Descendants

• → Czech: regál
• → Luxembourgish: Regal
• → Polish: regał
• → Slovak: regál

Etymology 2

15th century, borrowed from Latin regale, regalia.

Noun

Regal n (strong, genitive Regals or Regales, plural Regalien)

1. (chiefly in the plural) a right or privilege of a sovereign state or ruler; (one of the) regalia

   Wichtige Regalien waren das Recht auf Besetzung der Bischofsämter und das Recht zur Erbauung von Pfalzen.

   Important royal privileges were the right of appointing the bishops, and the right to build palaces.

Declension

Declension of Regal [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Regal	die	Regalien
genitive	eines	des	Regals, Regales	der	Regalien
dative	einem	dem	Regal, Regale1	den	Regalien
accusative	ein	das	Regal	die	Regalien

¹Now rare, see notes.

Further reading

• “Regal”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[1] (in German)
• “Regal” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• Regal on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de
• “Regal” in Duden online