Here's a breakdown of its journey:
1. Latin to Old French: "Regalis" was adopted into Old French as "roial", which evolved into "real".
2. Old French to Middle English: The word "real" then made its way into Middle English, where it was used in the sense of "kingly" or "belonging to a king".
3. Middle English to Modern English: The spelling of "real" shifted to "royal" in the 14th century. This change likely happened for a few reasons:
* To distinguish it from the more common word "real" meaning "genuine".
* To align with the spelling of other related words like "regal" and "royalty".
Thus, the word "royal" came to be used in English as a way to describe anything related to a king or queen, their family, or their court. It signifies power, prestige, and authority.