late 14c., from Old French regal "royal" (12c.) or directly from Latin regalis "royal, kingly; of or belonging to a king, worthy of a king," from rex (genitive regis) "king," from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," hence, "direct in a straight line, rule, guide" (cf. Sanskrit raj- "a king, a leader;" Avestan razeyeiti "directs;" Persian rahst "right, correct;" Latin regere "to rule," rex "a king, a leader," rectus "right, correct;" Old Irish ri, Gaelic righ "a king;" Gaulish -rix "a king," in personal names, e.g. Vircingetorix; Gothic reiks "a leader;" Old English rice "kingdom," -ric "king," rice "rich, powerful," riht "correct;" Gothic raihts, Old High German recht, Old Swedish reht, Old Norse rettr "correct"). Related: Regally.
a small, easily portable pipe organ usually having only a single set, or rank, of reed pipes. The beating reeds are surmounted by small resonators, producing a nasal, buzzing tone. Wind under pressure to sound the pipes is supplied by one or two bellows attached to the instrument and operated by the player or an assistant. The so-called bible regal, of the 16th century and later, can be folded up into the shape of a large book when not in use, hence its name. Regals, widely played in Europe during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, gained popularity as both solo and ensemble instruments. A regal is the instrument specified by Claudio Monteverdi to accompany brass instruments in an infernal scene in his music drama Orfeo (1607), and King Henry VIII of England evidently owned 17 regals of various sizes and pitches