Rights
How We Say It
rฤซts
Where It Comes From
Old English riht โ just, good, fitting. Related to Latin rectus โ straight. Rights were originally what was right โ morally correct โ before becoming a legal and political category of entitlements.
How It's Been Used
Natural rights, legal rights, and human rights are three different concepts using the same word. Natural rights exist independent of law (Jefferson); legal rights are what the law grants; human rights are international claims. Whether rights are God-given, socially constructed, or legally granted is the entire philosophical dispute.