Etymologically
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sovereignty

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsɒvɹənti/, /-ɹɪn-/ (UK); /ˈsɑv(ə)ɹənti/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English soverainte, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sovereynete (Old French souverainete),[2][3][4] from soverain (“sovereign”) (see sovereign) and -té,[2][3] ultimately from Latin super (“above”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Supremacy or pre-eminence in excellence: about 1340 in the OED;[5] the late 14th century in Etymonline, for pre-eminence and for supreme authority.[2]

Semantic evolution

Supreme power or authority is from about 1374,[5] and the rank and power of a monarch from 1387.[5] A territory under a sovereign, an independent state, is from 1715,[2][5] and the supreme controlling power in a community without a monarch by 1860.[2][5] The variant sovereignness (1580s) seems to have fallen out of use.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1340 – pre-eminence.[5]
  • c. 1374 – supreme authority.[5]
  • 1387 – royal authority.[5]
  • 1715 – an independent state.[2][5]
  • 1860 – supreme power without a monarch.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Supreme power or authority, especially of a state over its own affairs.
  2. The authority or rank of a monarch.
  3. Complete independence and self-government.
  4. An independent state.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press