Where does “principality” come from?
Principality comes from Middle English principalite, from Middle French principalté, denoting supreme power or the territory of a prince.
principality (English): A region or sovereign nation headed by a prince...
Definitions
- A region or sovereign nation headed by a prince...
Ancestry of “principality”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | principalte | — |
| 2 | Middle French | principalté | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | principalitas | |
| 4 | Latin | principālis | first, original |
| 5 | Latin | prīncipium | a beginning, an origin, a commencement |
| 6 | Latin | prīnceps | first, foremost |
| 7 | Latin | primoceps | — |
| 8 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |