Word Histories from the Language Doctor:

Regulate, Regime, Region, Register?

Learning the history of a word, or its etymology, can be a useful component to an ESL lesson, and often you don’t even need access to the Oxford English Dictionary, though it’s a wonderful tool. Some knowledge of Latin or the Romance languages, such as French, Spanish, and Italian, can help in English language exploration, and students may be able to remember words simply by knowing parts of them and what they stand for.

Recently, my class learned the words “regulate” and “regulations.”

 I directed the students to consider “reg.” What other words contain “reg”? I asked them. “Regime,” a ruling force, and “regal,” king-like.

Also, “regular,” “regimen,” and “regiment.” What do all these have in common? I pointed out that Latin words for ruler are “rex” and “regis” Without even knowing that, however, we can conclude that a word that begins with “reg” will have something to do with being ruled, or having rules and order, or consistency.

But what about “region” ? That seems to have nothing to do with rules. A quick look at the OED reveals that “region” originally meant “kingdom,” or an “administrative division,” which makes sense, because the word “regal” comes from the Latin rēgālis, which meant "belonging to a king or queen."

What about the word “regard” ? In addition to “give attention to,” it can also mean to “protect” or “to take care of.” “Register” naturally relates to all the above, since when something is registered, it is accounted for in some particular order. “Regale” or “to please or delight,” obviously has to do with pleasing or delighting a ruler.

Words that began with “reg” and referred to rules, rulers, or order existed in Old English, Middle English and Middle French. (Old English was used before the 12^th century, Middle English was in use the 12^th through the 15^th century, and from the 15^th century onward, we’ve been speaking Modern English.)

Our language is imperfect, with odd inconsistencies and strange connections, but considering the history of words leads us to remember them, as well as some of the history that formed them. Feel free to post any observations you have about words and word histories, or you may request a word history from Dr. Language.