Editing Reich (section)

==Usage in related languages==

===In Scandinavian languages===
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The cognate of the word Reich is used in all [[Scandinavian languages]] with the identical meaning, i.e. "[[realm]]". It is spelled '''{{lang|da|rige}}''' in Danish and older Norwegian (before the [[Norwegian language conflict#Initial reforms and advocacy|1907 spelling reform]]) and '''{{lang|sv|rike}}''' in Swedish and modern Norwegian. The word is traditionally used for sovereign entities, generally simply means "country" or "nation" (in the sense of a sovereign state) and does not have any special or political connotations. It does not imply any particular form of government, but it implies that the entity is both of a certain size and of a certain standing, like the Scandinavian kingdoms themselves; hence the word might be considered exaggerated for very small states like a city-state. Its use as a stand-alone word is more widespread than in contemporary German, but most often, it refers to the three Scandinavian states themselves and certain historical empires, like the [[Roman Empire]]. The standard word for a "country" is usually ''land'', and there are many other words used to refer to countries.

The word is part of the official names of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the form of {{native name|da|kongerige}}, {{native name|no|kongerike}}, and {{native name|sv|konungarike}}, all meaning kingdom, or literally the "realm of a king" (a kingdom can also be called {{lang|da|kongedømme}} in Danish and Norwegian and {{lang|sv|kungadöme}} or {{lang|sv|konungadöme}} in Swedish, direct cognates of the English word). Two regions in Norway that were [[Petty kingdoms of Norway|petty kingdoms]] before the unification of Norway around 900 AD have retained the word in the names (see [[Ringerike (traditional district)|Ringerike]] and [[Romerike]]). The word is also used in "{{lang|sv|Svea rike}}", with the current spelling {{lang|sv|Sverige}}, the name of Sweden in Swedish. Thus in the official name of Sweden, {{lang|sv|Konunga<u>riket</u> Sve<u>rige</u>}}, the word {{lang|da|rike}} appears twice.

The derived prefix {{lang|da|rigs-}} (Danish and pre-1907 Norwegian) and {{lang|sv|riks-}} (Swedish and Norwegian) and implies nationwide or under central jurisdiction. Examples include {{lang|sv|riksväg}} and {{lang|sv|riksvei}}, names for a national road in Swedish and Norwegian. It is also present in the names of numerous institutions in all the Scandinavian countries, such as {{lang|da|[[Rigsrevisionen]]}} (the agency responsible for oversight of the state finances in Denmark) and {{lang|da|[[Sveriges Riksbank]]}} (commonly known as just {{lang|sv|Riksbanken}}), the central bank of Sweden. It is also used in words such as {{lang|da|udenrigs}} (Danish), {{lang|sv|utrikes}} (Swedish) and {{lang|no|utenriks}} (Norwegian), relating to foreign countries and other things from abroad. The opposite word is {{lang|da|indenrigs}}/{{lang|sv|inrikes}}/{{lang|no|innenriks}}, meaning domestic.

The adjective form of the word, {{lang|da|rig}} in Danish and {{lang|sv|rik}} in Swedish/Norwegian, means "rich" like in other Germanic languages.

===Rijk/ryk===
{{lang|nl|'''Rijk'''}} is the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and {{lang|af|'''ryk'''}} the [[Afrikaans]] and [[Frisian languages|Frisian]] equivalent of the German word {{lang|de|Reich}}.

In a political sense in the Netherlands and Belgium, the word {{lang|nl|rijk}} often connotes a connection with the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] and the Kingdom of Belgium as opposed to the European part of the Netherlands or the provincial or municipal governments. The {{lang|nl|[[ministerraad]]}} is the executive body of the [[Netherlands]]' government and the {{lang|nl|[[rijksministerraad]]}} that of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], a similar distinction is found in {{lang|nl|wetten}} (laws) versus {{lang|nl|rijkswetten}} (kingdom laws) or the now-abolished {{lang|nl|[[rijkswacht]]}} ({{lit|guard of the realm}}) for the [[Belgian Gendarmerie]]. The word {{lang|nl|rijk}} can also be found in institutions like the [[Rijkswaterstaat]], [[Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu]] and [[Rijksuniversiteit Groningen]]. The German way of applying {{lang|nl|rijk}} is largely followed in Dutch, resulting in {{lang|nl|Frankrijk}} (France), {{lang|nl|Oostenrijk}} (Austria) and the historical {{lang|nl|Persische Rijk}} and {{lang|nl|Romeinse Rijk}} for the Persian and Roman Empires respectively. 

In colloquial speech, {{lang|nl|rijk}} usually means working for the central government rather than the provincial or municipal government, much as Americans refer to the "federal" government.

In [[Afrikaans]], {{lang|af|ryk}} refers to rulership and area of governance (mostly a kingdom), but in a modern sense, the term is used in a much more figurative sense (e.g. {{lang|af|Die Hemelse Ryk}} {{gloss|the [[Heavenly Kingdom]]}}, China), as the sphere under one's control or influence:
* {{lang|af|die drie ryke van die natuur: die plante-, diere- en delfstowweryk}} {{gloss|the three kingdoms of nature: the plant, animal and mineral kingdom}}
* {{lang|af|die duisendjarige ryk}} {{gloss|the thousand-year realm}}, the Biblical millennium
* {{lang|af|die ryk van die verbeelding, van drome}} {{gloss|the realm of the imagination, of dreams}}
* {{lang|af|'n bestuurder wat sy ryk goed beheer}} {{gloss|a manager who controls his domain well}}

As in German, the adjective {{lang|nl|rijk}}/{{lang|af|ryk}} also means "rich".