1827, from Modern Latin genus name of a type of East Indian monkey (1799), given by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Audebert (1759-1800), said to be an arbitrary use of Latin Rhesus, name of a legendary prince of Thrace, from Greek Rhesos.
Rhenish
rhenium
rheo-
rheology
rheostat
rhesus
rhetoric
rhetorical
rhetorician
rheum
rheumatic