# Riga
## English
### Etymology 1

From Latvian Rīga, of disputed origin:
* Possibly a form of Riege, the German name for the Rīdzene, a tributary of the Daugava river.
* Possibly from rija (“threshing barn”), the j becoming a g in German (note that English geographer Richard Hakluyt calls the city Rie in 1589, and that German historian Dionysius Fabricius confirms in 1610 the origin of Rīga from rija).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɹiːɡə/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -iːɡə

#### Proper noun

Riga
* The capital city of Latvia.
** 2014, Zigmunds Skujins, Flesh-Coloured Dominoes:[The city is] at least ten Rigas and Jelgavas put together! Palace upon palace, bridge upon bridge, tower upon tower.

##### Derived terms

* Rigan

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian Riga and Greek Ρήγα (Ríga).

#### Proper noun

Riga (plural Rigas)
* A surname.

##### Statistics

* According to the 2010 United States Census, Riga is the 40082nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 547 individuals. Riga is most common among White (93.78%) individuals.

### Further reading

* Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Riga”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

### Anagrams

* ragi, Gair, Ağrı, agri, agri-, gari

## Afrikaans
### Proper noun

Riga
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

## Albanian
### Proper noun

Riga
* definite nominative singular of Rigë

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈrɪɡa]
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Riga f (relational adjective rižský, demonym Rižan)
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “Riga”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “Riga”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
* “Riga”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

## Danish
### Proper noun

Riga
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

## Dutch
### Proper noun

Riga n
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʁi.ɡa/
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Riga ?
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

### Anagrams

* agir, gira

## German
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Riga n (proper noun, genitive Rigas or (optionally with an article) Riga)
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

## Hungarian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈriɡɒ]
* Hyphenation: Ri‧ga
* Rhymes: -ɡɒ

### Proper noun

Riga
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

#### Derived terms

* rigai

## Italian
### Proper noun

Riga f
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

### Anagrams

* Agri, agri, agri-, gira

## Latin
### Etymology

From Latvian Rīga.

### Proper noun

Riga f sg (genitive Rigae); first declension
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)
** 1578, Alexander Guagnini, Sarmatiae Europeae descriptio, quae Regnum Poloniae, Lituaniam, Samogitiam, Russiam, Masouiam, Prussiam, Pomeraniam, Liuoniam, et Moschouiae, Tartariaeque partem complectitur [Description of European Sarmatia, Which Encompasses the Kingdom of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia, Russia, Mazovia, Prussia, Pomerania, Livonia, Muscovy, and Part of Tartary], Liuoniae totius cum suis Prouinciis, Ciuitatibus, Castris, et Commendaturis, siue Palatinatibus, etc. Succincta descriptio [A succinct description of the whole of Livonia, with its provinces, cities, castles, and commanderies or palatinates, etc.], folio 3r:Blokavs Munitio inter Rigam & Dinamunt ad Dwinam conditaBlokaus is a fortification built on the Dvina between Riga and Dünamünde.

#### Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

#### Derived terms

* Rigensis

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Latvian Rīga (“Riga”), where the origin is disputed:
* Possibly from Livonian ringa (“loop”), referring to the ancient natural harbor formed by the tributary loop of the Daugava river.
* Possibly a form of Riege, the German name for the Rīdzene, a tributary of the Daugava river.
* Possibly from rija (“threshing barn”), the j becoming a g in German (note that English geographer Richard Hakluyt calls the city Rie in 1589, and that German historian Dionysius Fabricius confirms in 1610 the origin of Rīga from rija (“threshing barn”), from Livonian rī’, rī’j or from Estonian rehi, both from Proto-Finnic *riihi (“cabin for drying and threshing grain”), from earlier *riŋeše.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈriːɡa/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -iːɡa
* Hyphenation: Ri‧ga

### Proper noun

Riga
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)
    Riga er Latvias økonomiske og kulturelle sentrumRiga is Latvia's economic and cultural center

#### Derived terms

* rigabalsam (“Riga balm”)
* Rigabukten / Rigabukta (“Gulf of Riga”)

### References

* “Riga” in Store norske leksikon

### Anagrams

* gira

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈʁi.ɡɐ/ [ˈhi.ɡɐ]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈʁi.ɡɐ/ [ˈhi.ɡɐ]
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /ˈʁi.ɡɐ/ [ˈχi.ɡɐ]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈʁi.ɡa/ [ˈhi.ɡa]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈʁi.ɡɐ/ [ˈʁi.ɣɐ]
* Hyphenation: Ri‧ga

### Proper noun

Riga f
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

## Slovak
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈriɡa]

### Proper noun

Riga f (genitive singular Rigy, declension pattern of žena)
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

### References

* “Riga”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈriɡa/ [ˈri.ɣ̞a]
* Rhymes: -iɡa
* Syllabification: Ri‧ga

### Proper noun

Riga ?
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

#### Related terms

* rigués

## Swedish
### Proper noun

Riga n (genitive Rigas)
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)

### Anagrams

* gira

## Turkish
### Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish ریغا (Riga).

### Proper noun

Riga
* Riga (the capital city of Latvia)