principality (n.)

c. 1300, principalite, "position of a prince," from Old French principalite "principal matter; power, sovereignty" (12c., Modern French principauté) and directly from Late Latin principalitatem (nominative principalitas), from principalis "first in importance; original, primitive" (see principal (adj.)).

Mid-14c. as "government by a prince." Meaning "region or state ruled by a prince or monarch" is attested from late 14c. Also in Middle English "state of being superior" (late 14c.).

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to principality

principal (adj.)

c. 1300, "main, principal, chief, dominant, largest, greatest, most important;" also "great, large," from Old French principal "main, most important," of persons, "princely, high-ranking" (11c.) and directly from Latin principalis "first in importance; original, primitive," from princeps (genitive principis) "first man, chief leader; ruler, sovereign," noun use of adjective meaning "that takes first," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)) + root of capere "to take" (from PIE root *kap- "to grasp").

Trends of principality

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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Ukraine was formerly also known as Little Russia, so called by contrast with Great Russia, when the medieval principality...

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Orangemen

The name is from the town of Orange on the Rhone in France, which became part of the Nassau principality in 1530....

land

Old English lond, land, "ground, soil," also "definite portion of the earth's surface, home region of a person or a people, territory marked by political boundaries," from Proto-Germanic *landja- (source also of Old Norse, Old Frisian Dutch, Gothic land, German Land), perhaps fro

demesne

c. 1300, demeine, demeyne (modern spelling by late 15c.), "power; dominion; control, possession," senses now obsolete, from Anglo-French demesne, demeine, Old French demaine "land held for a lord's own use," from Latin dominicus "belonging to a master," from dominus "lord, master

domain

c. 1600, "territory over which dominion is exerted," from French domaine "domain, estate," from Medieval Latin domanium "domain, estate," from Latin dominium "property, dominion," from dominus "lord, master, owner," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). A l

understand

Old English understandan "to comprehend, grasp the idea of, receive from a word or words or from a sign the idea it is intended to convey; to view in a certain way," probably literally "stand in the midst of," from under + standan "to stand" (see stand (v.)). If this is the meani

key

"instrument for opening locks," Middle English keie, from Old English cæg "metal piece that works a lock, key" literal and figurative ("solution, explanation, one who or that which opens the way or explains"), a word of unknown origin, abnormal evolution, and no sure cognates oth

Egypt

Old English Egipte "the Egyptians," from French Egypte, from Greek Aigyptos "the river Nile, Egypt," from Amarna Hikuptah, corresponding to Egyptian Ha(t)-ka-ptah "temple of the soul of Ptah," the creative god associated with Memphis, the ancient city of Egypt. Strictly one of th

stop

Middle English stoppen, "obstruct (a passage) with a physical barrier; close up by filling, stuffing, or plugging," from Old English -stoppian (in forstoppian "to stop up, stifle"), a general West Germanic word, cognate with Old Saxon stuppon, West Frisian stopje, Middle Low Germ

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updated on November 10, 2020

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Dictionary entries near principality

princeling

princely

princess

Princeton

principal

principality

principally

principia

principle

principled

pringle