a glossary of european

8/12/2019 A Glossary of European

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1.2. Scope. T"is document limits itsel* to collecting) organi rat"er it is an ongoing t"ing developed *or my o8n education

and entertainment as muc" as *or t"at o* anyone else 8"o may read it.

1.3. imitations. 9s stated) t"is attempts to limit itsel* to titles) and t"ese titles are

e=clusively &uropean> in t"e *uture) I 8ould li/e see sections on non&uropean titles)

i.e.) Islamic and 9sian) but t"is *alls outside my present competence. !t"er uestions)

suc" as speci*ic national usages are not as yet addressed in adeuate detail. T"e

uestion o* styles) i.e.) t"e 8ay a sovereign or noble is addressed ?@%er Royal

%ig"ness@) @Aour 'race@B) is mentioned only in passing. T"ere are times) "o8ever)

8"en t"e distinction bet8een @style@ and @title@ is unclear) and I ma/e no claim to

consistency or precision 8"en calling somet"ing a title. ,ranCois 6elde "as t"e most

serene "ig"ness o* a site t"at discusses stylesD

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1.4. !rgani


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as 8ell as in*ormation on t"e patterns o* noble titles *ound in eac" &uropean nation

state.

1.(. redits. ,irst) I need to t"an/ t"e regular posters on a.t.r.) but especially) ouis

&pstein) S"inGinee Sen) Hacueline imenes) .9. Jillis) #atric/ !S"ea) 'uy Stair

Sainty) Stan 7ro8n) even 0ercer) He** eader) Jilliam 9ddams Reit8eisner) 0ar/9nt"ony Rodrigue< and 0arlene &ilers Koenig. 9 very special t"an/s needs to be

given to ,ranCois 6elde) bot" *or "is contributions as 8ell as "is "osting o* t"is 8eb

page at "is site.

1.+. ,uture 'ro8t". T"ere is muc" t"at could and s"ould be added) Gust in terms o*

titles) especially 'erman ones. I 8ould li/e to see individual sections dedicated to

individual national usages. ,ranCois 6eldes 8eb site "as good material on t"e ,renc"

practices> not"ing comparable) "o8ever) e=ists *or Iberian or Italian usages ?t"e latter

o* 8"ic" is uite comple=B) and I really only touc" t"e sur*ace 8"en it comes to t"e

multilayered and at times seemingly parado=ical system *ound in 'erman lands.

1.. opyrig"t Notice. ,or noncommercial purposes only) t"is ,9 may be *reely

copied) distributed or uoted in any medium 8it" t"e understanding t"at *ull credit

s"all be given. 9ll ot"er rig"ts are reserved by mysel*.

2. Sovereigns and Sovereignty.

@Sovereign@ ?in t"e &uropean senseB is a tec"nical term) bot" noun and adGective. In

times past) a sovereign (assovereign) i.e.) ans8erable only to 'od *or "is actions.

!nly t"e #ope is sovereign in t"is sense today ?as "ead o* t"e 6atican ity StateB)

8it" #rinces Rainier o* 0onaco and %ans9dam o* iec"tenstein coming a relatively

close second. 0ore generally) a sovereign is any"ereditary "eado*state) 8"atever

t"e title) and 8"atever constitutional po8ers t"e sovereign may "ave. ,or t"e purposes

o* t"is document) @sovereign@ re*ers to a ruling "ead o* state and need not be royal or

imperial.

u=embourg is "eaded by a grand du/e> iec"tenstein and 0onaco are "eaded by

princes. iec"tenstein and u=embourg are bot" sovereign states and t"eir "eads o*

state are sovereigns. J"ile #rince Rainier o* 0onaco is asovereign) in strict terms0onaco is nota sovereign state) its semidependent relations"ip to ,rance governed

by treaty. 9ndorra is similarly not strictly a sovereign state. T"e "annel Islands and

t"e Isle o* 0an are not part o* t"e Lnited Kingdom but *eudal dependencies o* t"e

7ritis" ro8n and also lac/ sovereignty) as do 7ritains various colonial le*tovers.

7e*ore t"e uni*ications o* 'ermany and Italy) t"ere 8ere a 8elter o* sovereign or

essentially sovereign states ruled by variouslytitled sovereigns electors ?in 'erman)


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@Kur*-rst@B) margraves) etc. T"e *amilies ruling t"ese *ormerly independent states are

*or t"e most part still dynastically signi*icant today.

3. Nobles and Nobility.

Romans recogni

anyt"ing be*ore 11FF is remar/able. T"e organi


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?*ollo8 lin/ to @Scottis" ,eudal 7aronies@B

Somet"ing also needs to be said about @title in*lation@. J"ile t"e 7ritis" system is

tidily e=clusive) t"is is not t"e case in ot"er systems. 9s e=plained belo8) somesystems ?as 8it" ,ranceB "ave long tolerated @courtesy titles@) a putative title o*

nobility t"at "as no basis in *act. In ot"er cases) all t"e descendants o* a noble "ave a

title) t"e title "older) as in Italy) being styled @u/e o* Suc"andsuc"@) 8it" everyone

else being titled @,irstname o* t"e u/es ?or 0aruesses) etcB o* Suc"andsuc"@.

,ranCois 6elde 8rites about t"e ,renc" situationD

Nowadays, anyone descended from a count uses the style of count (although "le

comte Pierre de X" is distinguished from "Pierre, comte de X" who is the real

title-holder). That makes it seem like many counts. Since there are only aout! authentic titles, the share of titles#$eerages to $o$ulation is similar to

%ngland.

In 'ermany) since t"e Jeimar Republic) all titles are considered part o* ones last

name. T"us) a real title "older can @adopt@ an adult) and t"e ot"er8ise unrelated

person t"en can become @Hoe Sc"muc/ u/e o* Sa=ony@ ?t"is is t"e case o* sasas

"ubbyB> t"e practice is alluded to in 7illy Jilders *ilm) &ne Two Three?agneys last

*ilm be*ore'agtimeB.

T"en t"ere is t"e matter o* "o8 t"e nobility o* a previous state 8as incorporated intot"at o* a successor state or regime. T"is particularly applies to 'ermany as 8ell as

Italy) but also applies to t"e case o* t"e Lnited Kingdom ?8it" t"e Scots and Iris"

peeragesB and in ,rance) "o8 titles granted a*ter t"e ancien regime are "andled. T"e

term @mediati

it is not 8it"out good reason t"at umas) Trollope) et al. "ad *un casting *au= Italiannobles as c"arming ?or notsoc"armingB villains. &ven in 7ritain) t"e recent practice

o* peddling lords"ips o* t"e manor ?*eudal le*tovers so devoid o* meaning t"at

#arliament "as never seen *it to abolis" t"emB testi*ies to t"e problems> see

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*or a discussion o* @&nglis" ords"ips o* t"e 0anor@ ?*ollo8 lin/B> especially see

@aveat &mptor@.

4. Imperial Titles.

atin Imperator) Imperatri=

'ree/ 9uto/rator

&nglis" &mperor) &mpress

'erman Kaiser) Kaiserin

,renc" &mpereur) Imperatrice

Spanis" &mperador) &mperatri %ereditary #rince 9loisu=embourg?grand duc"yB 'rand u/e Hean)'rand uc"ess Hosep"ine"arlotte> %ereditary

'rand u/e %enri

0onaco ?principalityB #rince Rainier III) none> %ereditary #rince 9lbert

T"e use o* @%ereditary #rince@ or @%ereditary 'rand u/e@ is discussed under under

@Imperial) Royal) and Noble !**spring@.

In earlier times) t"ere 8ere many more monarc"ies o* t"is /ind) variously titled as

grand duc"ies) duc"ies) principalities) etc. 0ost o* t"ese occurred 8it"in t"e bounds

o* t"e *ormer %oly Roman &mpire) or in regions adGacent to it) t"oug" in Italy) t"e'rand uc"y o* Tuscany ?,lorenceB o* t"e 0edicis ?and later) as a branc" o* t"e

%absburgsB needs mentioning. ,inland 8as a grand duc"y "eld by t"e Romanovs. T"e

brie*lived 'rand uc"y o* Jarsa8 8as created by Napoleon I. Some discussion o*

t"e "istory o* t"e %oly Roman &mpire is necessary be*ore many o* t"ese titles

originating *rom it can be adeuately understood. Je mig"t mention "ere t"at

u=embourg 8as created as a grand duc"y *or t"e %ouse o* !rangeNassau withint"e

'erman on*ederation ?successor o* t"e %oly Roman &mpireB) 8"ile t"e Net"erlands

?including present 7elgiumB remained outside o* t"e on*ederation ?and previously)

t"e &mpireB.

5.3. T"e #ope.

Since t"e signing o* t"e ateran treaty) t"e #ope "as been Sovereign o* t"e 6atican

ity State. 7e*ore t"e States o* t"e "urc" 8ere incorporated into t"e Kingdom o*

Italy) t"e #ope 8as similarly a territorial sovereign ?t"is 8as t"e central part o* Italy

*rom Rome nort"B. 9lmost all nations o* t"e 8orld recogni


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%oly Roman &mperor 8as an elective o**ice. %o8ever) dynastic politics made it

e**ectively "ereditary) *irst 8it" t"e %o"enstau*en) t"en) e=cept *or a brie* period) t"e

%absburgs. ,or t"e %absburgs) an imperial election 8as still necessary *or an emperor

to enter into "is reign) and t"is 8as done by t"e &lectors ?in 'erman) Kur*-rst)

Kur*-rstinB. T"e number o* electors gre8 over time> at t"e dissolution o* t"e empire

t"ese 8ereD

Tem$oral S$iritual

7randenburg ologne

7avaria 0ain part o* t"is 8as a

process re*erred to as @mediati


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distinguis"ing nonroyal but ot"er8ise *ormerly sovereign "ouses *rom t"ose 8"ic"

are merely noble.

'. Imperial( !oyal( and Noble O&&spring.

Some titles 8ere reserved e=clusively *or an imperial or royal c"ild. !t"ertimes) t"e

c"ild 8as given an ot"er8ise noble title. T"e "eir o* a noble o*ten bears a distinctive

style as 8ell.

In &nglis") a prince is t"e c"ild ?and in t"e male line) a grandc"ildB o* t"e /ing or

ueenregnant ?and in t"e direct line o* succession) t"e greatgrandc"ildren o* t"e

sovereignB) and are styled a @royal "ig"ness@. T"is nomenclature applies to t"e

c"ildren o* continental /ings and ueensregnant) at least 8"en speakin &nglis".

J"at distinguis"es a style *rom a title "ere is unclear. @aup"in@ *or t"e ,renc" "eir

or @#rince o* Jales@ *or t"e 7ritis") 8"ile a title) is really more o* a style. T"e same

can be said *or @#rince or #rincess o* 9sturias@ *or t"e Spanis" "eir) but @in*ante@ *or

a Spanis" prince o* t"e blood seems closer to a title as 8e "ave been using t"e term>

one may say t"e same t"ing about t"e %absburg use o* @&r t"is is all governed by international protocolB. T"e potential *or con*usion

is also present 8it" grand du/es) as a ruling grand du/e 8ould normally outran/ t"e

c"ild o* a Russian tsar.

T"e c"ild o* a %absburg emperor 8as re*erred to as an arc"du/e or arc"duc"ess

?&r


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"%r" in erman (in this sense) means "hereditary". . . . The oldest son and

heir of a 1ediati2ed ount would e an "%rgraf". The oldest son and heir of a

rand *uke would e an "%rgro3her2og". nd so on. nother way of s$elling

the title would e "%r-Prin2" or "%r-raf", etc. The wies of these men hae

e4uialent feminine titles, such as"%r$rin2essin", "%rgr5fin",

"%rgro3her2ogin", etc. The 6rench form is "$rince heredetaire", "comte

heredetaire" "grand-duc heredetaire", etc. (toss in accents as a$$ro$riate).

In ,renc" usage) #rince 9lbert o* 0onaco) as "eir to #rince Rainier) is a @prince

"eredetaire@) and #rince 9lois) t"e "eir o* %ans9dam o* iec"tenstein is) in 'erman

usage) an @&rbprin


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+.1. #rince and ,-rst.

atin #rinceps

&nglis" #rince) #rincess

,renc" #rince) #rincesse'erman #rin


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In t"e Russian system) @/nya


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+.3. 0argrave.

@0argrave@ and @margravine@ are t"e &nglis" 8ords *or @0ar/gra*@ and

@0ar/gr*in@. 9s a title) it is etymologically euivalent to a 0aruess ?see belo8B) but

as t"ere 8ere ruling margraves in 8"at is no8 'ermany) suc" a 0ar/gra* 8as

superior.

+.4. ount#alatine.

@#alatine@ re*ers to e=traordinary po8ers granted to a noble. T"e &nglis" 8ord

@palatine@ means a region under t"e aut"ority o* a noble 8"ere t"e /ings 8rit 8as

suspended. J"ile t"e noble o8ed allegience to t"e /ing ?or %oly Roman &mperorB)

t"e "older o* a palatine "ad absolute aut"ority) including t"e rig"t to grant titles o*

nobility) create /nig"ts) raise armies) coin money i.e.) po8ers normally reserved to

a sovereign. T"ere 8ere palatinates in 7ritis" "istory) in bot" &ngland and in Ireland)

and could be given to eit"er lords temporal or spiritual. T"ere 8as a case o* a @bis"oppalatine@> ouis &pstein reports @t"e &nglis" ords 7is"op o* ur"am used to rule a

county palatine@.

@T"e #alatinate@) "o8ever) re*ers to t"e R"ineland #alatinate in 'ermany) or in

'erman) @R"einland#*al


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,renc" uc) uc"esse

Italian uca) uc"esa

Spanis" uue) uuesa

#ortuguese uue) uue "o8ever) 8"en euating t"e dignity o* some

du/es) some insig"t is needed. ,or e=ample) ,erdinand o* t"e T8o Sicilies created

du/es in Naples almost by t"e gross) and t"ese titles cannot be considered eual to

du/es in t"e 7ritis" or ot"er continental systems.

.2. 0aruess.

&nglis" 0aruess) 0arc"ioness

'erman 0ar/gra*) 0ar/gr*in ?in &nglis") 0argrave) 0argravineB

,renc" 0aruis) 0aruise

Italian 0arc"ese) 0arc"esa


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Spanis" 0aruUs) 0aruesa

#ortuguese 0arue


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'elated Terms:earldom) comital) countly.

@&arl@ is related to !ld Norse @Garl@) and is euivalent to @count@) 8"ic" itsel* comes

*rom t"e atin comes. T"is in turn is related to t"e &nglis" 8ord @county@) 8"ic"

pretty muc" e=plains 8"at a count 8asD t"e principal *igure o* t"e county. In Roman

times) t"e comes 8as a courtier) an Imperial o**icial) and actually outran/eda du7?du/eB.

Jilliam I o* &ngland regarded t"e 9ngloSa=on @earl@ as a synonym *or @count@) and

8"ile t"is 8as not correct) it 8as a practical euivalency. !ld &nglis" lac/ed a

*eminine and t"us t"e ,renc" term 8as adopted *or an earls 8i*e as 8ell as *or 8omen

8"o "old earldoms in t"eir o8n rig"t.

T"e 'erman 8ord @gra*@ seems etymologically related to t"e &nglis" @reeve@) 8"ic"

comes *rom t"e !ld &nglis" @gere*e@. 9 reeve is an important appointed o**icial) as

8it" t"e @s"ire reeve@) i.e.) t"e @s"eri**@. J"at &nglis" divides among several 8ords)'erman uses a single 8ord 8it" pre*i=es) and generally it "as a broader meaning t"an

&nglis" @earl@ or @count@. @'ra*@) t"en) s"ould not be understood as being per*ectly

eual to @earl@ or @count@) but as also containing t"e idea o* @reeve@) or @important

o**icial@. In 'erman lands) o**ices normally t"oug"t o* as being appointive and "eld

by commoners in 'reat 7ritain could be "ereditary and noble. T"e %ouse o* T"urn

and Ta=is) *or e=ample) started out li*e as t"e Imperial postmasters) a Gob one 8ould

not t"in/ o* in 7ritain as ennobling.

Some 8ill maintain t"at a 7ritis" earl outran/s any continental count. ompared to

some ot"er systems) especially t"ose t"at incorporated t"e results o* t"e o*ten slapdas"practices o* older systems ?e.g.) ItalyB) t"ere are proportionally *e8er 7ritis" earls t"an

counts.

In ,rance and Italy) t"e title "older is @,irstname) t"e ount o* EtitleE@) 8"ile "is

*amily members are) roug"ly) @,irstname) o* t"e ount o* EtitleE@. T"is ma/es countly

?and ot"er titlesB seem *ar more common t"an in t"e LK. Jit" @count@) @title

in*lation@ is particularly notable.

,ranCois 6elde) spea/ing o* title in*lation) saysD

Since the late !


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andgra*Elandgrave ?along 8it" #*al


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'elated Termsviscountcy or viscounty.

T"is title is mostly con*ined to t"e Lnited Kingdom and ,rance) t"oug" it appears

rarely in Italy and else8"ere.

T"is is t"e le*tover title) 8"at t"e /ing besto8ed on someone 8"o 8as not importantenoug" to merit being made a count. Its a rat"er late innovation. It originated in

,rance) as t"e counts deputy) i.e) t"e @vicecount@.

.5. 7aron.

&nglis" 7aron) 7aroness

'erman 7aron) 7aronin> ,rei"err) ,rei*rau

,renc" 7aron) 7aronne

Italian 7arone) 7aronessaSpanis" 7aron) 7aronesa

#ortugese 7aron) 7arone


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6reiherren and 6reiinen ($lural of 6reiin). This is the only case in erman

that am aware of where the wife and daughter hae different words for their

titles.

T"e status o* barons varies. It can be a very "ig" title or somet"ing o* little

conseuence. It is de*initely a noble title) "o8ever) and needs to be clearlydistinguis"ed *rom @baronet@.

.$. 7aronet.

'elated Terms:baronetcy) baronetage.

T"is may be t"oug"t o* as a "ereditary /nig"t"ood. ,or convenience) it may also be

t"oug"t o* as a noble title) t"oug" t"ere are t"ose 8"o 8ould disagree) at least as used

in t"e 7ritis" system. 9 baronet is certainly not a peer> in t"e Lnited Kingdom)

baronets are not entitled to a seat in t"e %ouse o* ords ?unless) o* course) t"eyadditionally "old a peerageB. 'uy Stair Sainty 8ritesD @In 'ermany t"e ran/ o* /nig"t

8as "ereditary) but it 8as al8ays vie8ed di**erently *rom /nig"t"ood earned.@

T"e 'erman @Ritter@) 8"en part o* a last name) indicates t"e 'erman euivalent o* a

baronetcy. 9 8oman "olding a baronetcy in "er o8n rig"t is termed a baronetess.

J"en one pic/s t"roug" lesser 'erman titles) suc" t"ings as @Jaldgra*@) R"eingra*@)

@7urggra*@ and t"e suc" pop up. !n t"e 8"ole) t"ese seem obsolete) yet) t"ere are a

*e8 *amilies 8"o cling to t"em> t"ey are also encountered on titlelists o* ot"er8ise

*ar more e=alted personages. T"e 'erman system 8as more *le=ible 8"en it came totitles> as "as been demonstrated) it 8as also broader in its de*inition o* nobility. Since

8e "ave been using t"e 7ritis" system to classi*y titles) t"ese are placed "ere at t"e

end) some8"ere bet8eenanda*ter t"e 7ritis" sense o* 7aronetasa/nig"t and

7aronetaspettynoble.

odegardB$tel.net

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