admiralty

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English admiralte, also ameralte,^[2][3] borrowed from Anglo-Norman admiralté, also amiralté,^[4][2] and Middle French admiralité, now amirauté,^[4][5] formed from admiral (“admiral”) and the suffix -té (“-ty”).^[4][2] In French the noun is recorded from before 1325 for the office of an admiral, from 1373 for the branch of justice dealing with naval matters, and since 1382 for the body governing a navy.^[4] The OED compares Medieval Latin admirallitas, frequent in British sources from 1339, and the later German Admiralität (1609) and Dutch admiraliteit (1591).^[4] admiral is amirail (“Saracen commander”),^[3][6] ultimately from Arabic أمير (amīr, “commander”), probably through Medieval Latin.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The branch of justice dealing with maritime questions and offences: 1419, in the proceedings of the Privy Council.^[4] Etymonline dates the word to the early 15th century,^[3] and Dictionary.com to 1300–50.^[7]

Semantic evolution

From the office and jurisdiction of an admiral (1443)^[4] the word passed to the body that governed a navy: it is used of the English governing board in the Paston Letters in 1459,^[4] and since 1617 also of the building where its business was done.^[4] Johnson (1755) defined it as the power or officers appointed to administer naval affairs.^[8] Several senses fell out of use: a navy under an admiral's command (before 1626 to 1698), a port or station for warships (1677–1798) and a close sailing formation against pirates (1622).^[4] Admiralty coal, large steam coal supplied to the Royal Navy, is recorded from 1877,^[4] and Kipling's price of admiralty, the cost of naval supremacy, from 1893.^[4] Used as an adjective, of maritime law, it is dated from 1625.^[2]

Timeline

• 1419 – the branch of justice concerned with maritime matters, also in court of admiralty.^[4]
• 1443 – the office or rank of an admiral.^[4]
• 1459 – the body in charge of a country's navy.^[4]
• 1617 – the building of that body.^[4]
• 1622 – a close sailing formation for defence (obsolete).^[4]
• 1625 – adjective, relating to maritime law.^[2]
• 1677 – a port or station for warships (obsolete by 1798).^[4]
• 1877 – Admiralty coal.^[4]
• 1893 – the price of admiralty, in Kipling.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (usually capitalized, British) The department or board in charge of a country's navy, especially that formerly in charge of the Royal Navy.^[2][4][9]
2. The building in which such a department works.^[4]
3. (law) The branch of law dealing with maritime questions, or a court with jurisdiction over them: The case was heard in admiralty.^[2][4][9]
4. The office or jurisdiction of an admiral (archaic in Merriam-Webster).^[9][2][4]
5. (obsolete) A navy or naval department under the command of an admiral.^[4][10]

Adjective

1. Relating to maritime law: an admiralty lawyer.^[2][9]

Word family

• vice-admiralty

Related words

• admiral
• emir

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
6. ^ Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
8. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
9. ^ a b c d Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
10. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press