Dictionary formrex, regis(masculine)

Line drawing of rex
Coloured illustration of rex
#117 of 1,000Core 1000

Translation

king

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Grammar

Gendermasculine

Cases

Casesingularplural
Nominativethe subjectrexreges
Vocativecalling someone: O ...rexreges
Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), perregemreges
Genitiveofregisregum
Dativeto, forregiregibus
Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sineregeregibus

Examples

.

The king is dead.

.

The king's son was there.

creaverunt.

They made him king.

Romani expulerunt.

The Romans drove out the kings.

didicerunt.

They learned to live without a king.

Rex, regis is third declension masculine. The x of the nominative is not a separate letter so much as a spelling of c plus s, which is why the stem underneath is reg-: regis, regem, rege, reges, regum, regibus. Once you see that, the whole family falls out: rego, "I rule", regnum, "kingdom", regina, "queen", rectus, "straight, ruled".

For a Roman of the Republic rex was not a neutral job title. The expulsion of the kings in 509 BC was the founding story of the state, and to be accused of aiming at kingship, regnum adfectare, was a charge that got men killed. That is the political air around Caesar's refusal of the crown, and it is why Roman writers reach for princeps, imperator or dictator and leave rex for foreigners and for the distant past.

French roi, Spanish rey and Italian re all descend from it, and English took regal, regime, reign, rector and, at one remove, royal.

Where this fits

Used in

Grammar articles

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Latin · Free printables

rex: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "rex" (king): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 2: rex, frater, mox and 11 more words.