Where does “Princess” come from?
Princess derives from Middle English princesse, from Old French princesse, from Latin princeps meaning "first in rank or order," though the specific sense development to "female royal" is not fully documented in available sources.
Princess (English): The title of a princess
Definitions
- The title of a princess
Ancestry of “Princess”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | princesse | — |
| 2 | Old French | princesse | princess |
| 3 | Old French | prince | prince |
| 4 | Latin | prīnceps | first, foremost |
| 5 | Latin | primoceps | — |
| 6 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |