PERMANENT SOURCE RECORD
ALL SOURCES ↗BIBLIOGRAPHIC IDENTITYmw-rich
SOURCE
RECORD.
One work. Every claim that depends on it. No citation without a consequence you can inspect.
9 PUBLIC LINKS INTO THE GRAPH.
This count excludes duplicate dossier-path citations. Open the claims below to see exactly how the source is used.
historical dictionarymw-rich
Rich — Definition, Word History, and First Known Use
- AUTHOR / EDITOR
- Merriam-Webster Editors
- YEAR
- 2026
- PUBLISHER
- Merriam-Webster
- DOI
- Not recorded
- SOURCE TYPE
- historical dictionary
- EXTERNAL RECORD
- OPEN ORIGINAL ↗
010
CONTRARIAN TRUTH CLAIMS
RANKED REVEALS THAT CITE THIS SOURCE
No ranked contrarian reveal currently cites this source.
022
SCHOLARLY DISAGREEMENT
DISPUTE POSITIONS THAT CITE THIS SOURCE
opensupportsprobable
Did rich reach Middle English only through Old English or only through French?
The shared deep ancestry is secure, but the immediate medieval history is convergent: Merriam-Webster foregrounds Old English, while American Heritage explicitly gives both Old French and Old English.
Etymology: Middle English riche from Old English riceForegrounds the inherited English route.
resolvedcontextestablished
Did rich originally mean only possessing money?
No. Old English rīce is glossed strong or powerful, and the wider family centers on rule and kingship before the modern abundance field.
Etymology: Germanic words borrowed from Celtic king wordsConnects power and kingship before the wealth field.
032
CANONICAL RELATIONSHIP CLAIMS
EDGES THAT CITE THIS SOURCE
EDGE 770supportsestablished
rich → riche
Present-Day English → Middle English · continuation
- SOUND
- Modern rich continues Middle English riche through English spelling and sound history.
- MEANING
- Power and wealth broaden across abundance, value, color, flavor, and intensity.
- SCHOLAR / EDITOR
- Merriam-Webster Editors · American Heritage Dictionary Editors
Definitions, Word History, and First Known UseSupplies Middle English riche, broad meanings, and pre-twelfth-century horizon.
EDGE 771supportsestablished
riche → rīce
Middle English → Old English · inheritance
- SOUND
- Middle English riche continues Old English rīce while also receiving French-family influence represented separately.
- MEANING
- Strong and powerful develop toward wealthy and abundant.
- SCHOLAR / EDITOR
- Merriam-Webster Editors · American Heritage Dictionary Editors
Etymology: Middle English riche from Old English ricePublishes the inherited English route.
041
LEXICAL ATTESTATIONS
WITNESSES REPORTED BY THIS SOURCE
richSOURCE-REPORTED
rich
Merriam-Webster first-known-use report for rich
OPEN WITNESS 171 ↗052
COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE
COGNATES, DESCENDANTS, AND RELATIVES
062
GEOGRAPHIC AND TEMPORAL CLAIMS
JOURNEY STAGES THAT CITE THIS SOURCE
stage 4context
France and England
Preserves the inherited English emphasis.
Etymology: Middle English from Old English · broadstage 5supports
Global English
Supplies the broad meanings and temporal horizon.
Definitions and First Known Use · global070
NON-GENEALOGICAL CONNECTIONS
HISTORICAL CONTEXT, KEPT SEPARATE
No non-genealogical context link currently cites this source.
081
WORD-FAMILY REUSE
DOSSIERS THAT DEPEND ON THIS SOURCE
2 entry-scoped citations map reviewed dossier paths onto the canonical claims above.