Is regtig really German richtig?

Afrikaans, Dutch and High German (henceforth A, D and G, respectively) have several modal particles in common. In the case of A regtig/rerig there is a correspondence with G richtig, but not with D, as rechtig is virtually absent in D. A rerig, from the reduplication form reg-reg, nevertheless derives from A reg and ultimately from D recht "right". The provenance of A regtig, however is still in need of an explanation. Regtig/rerig, a modal particle meaning "true/truly, real(-ly), actual(-ly)", also functions as a reinforcing or scalar particle or as an interjection. As speakers of German settled at the Cape of Good Hope in large numbers from the 17th century onwards, the possibility is explored that the A form regtig developed under the influence of G richtig, in a process of convergence with its slightly more informal synonym rerig. As A reg-reg is morphologically based on reg/recht, the functions of A reg(te) and D recht(e) will be delineated to begin with, followed by a discussion of the origins of the reduplicated form reg-reg and its development towards rerig, and the relationship between rerig(e) and regtig(e). Finally, it will be shown that the modal functions of rerig(e)/regtig(e) are also encountered in G richtig(e-), so that it seems likely that A regtig(e), as far as its form is concerned, arose at the Cape under German influence. Semantically, a distinction is first of all made between the referential sense of "right" in contrast to "wrong". In the three syntactic contexts to be distinguished, viz, attributive and predicative adjective and adverb, D employs recht(e), A reg(te) and G richtig(e-). In the modal sense of "true/truly, real(-ly), actual(-ly)" D has obsolete recht(e); D echt(e), which seems to be the general "replacement" of recht(e), is not discussed further In this sense, A has regte in attributive function, while reg is not encountered predicatively and is obsolete in adverbialfunction. Besides attributive A regte, the forms regtige and rerige have become common, matched predicatively by regtig and rerig. The latter forms are the forms used par excellence in adverbial function, i.e. as modal particles, and G richtig is often encountered in this function. Though the distinction between the modal and reinforcing uses is not clear-cut, both A regtig!rerig and G richtig are employed as reinforcers, as well as being employed as negation mitigators (A nie regtig/rerig, G nicht richtig) and as interjections. A conspicuous dfference betwe