Regals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to the splendor and dignity associated with royal figures or sovereignty; characterized by an air of majesty and grandeur; used in contexts of stateliness or regal attire often seen in monarchies
2. Describing attributes that evoke the power and glory of a king or queen; embodying the elegance and richness that pertain to nobility; also relating to the formal presentation and decorum expected in royal settings
3. Signifying the qualities or possessions that belong to royalty; indicative of a lifestyle marked by luxury and authority; often associated with the adornments and formalities tied to kings and queens

Etymology: "Regals" is simply the plural of "regal," so the word's history is the history of "regal" itself. It came into Middle English from Old French "regal," meaning royal, which descends from Latin "rēgālis," "royal or kingly," built on "rex," king, and on "regere," to rule. The same Latin root gave English its doublets "royal" and "real," the latter once used for a unit of currency. A second, unrelated origin also lies behind the word. Middle English took "regal" from Middle French "régale," which may come from the Old French "regol," a gutter or channel. That path makes "regal" a cousin of "rail," "rule," and "regula," a striking reminder that the word for kingly dignity shares a family with a word for a drainage channel. The two strands are separate, and the royal sense is the one that survives.

Synonyms: crowns, thrones, scepters, royalty, sovereigns