principauté

Forms

principauté f (plural principautés)^[1] Old French and Middle French principalité, principaltee (1362) and Anglo-Norman principalté.^[2][3]

Etymology

The TLFi treats it as a derivative from French prince, made on the model of Old French principalité (“domination, power”) (about 1175, Benoît de Sainte-Maure).^[4][5][6] Rey and the Académie describe it rather as a remodelling of the Old French word itself, which was borrowed from Late Latin prīncipālitās (“primacy”), from Latin prīncipālis (“principal”).^[2][7] The change of ⟨-alité⟩ to ⟨-alté⟩ (as in principaltee, 1362) and then ⟨-auté⟩ is probably due to the influence of royauté.^[4][2][8] Wiktionary instead calls it a learned borrowing of the Latin word, a doublet of principalité.^[1] Bloch and Wartburg see the ending as taken from the Old French word for “principal feast”.^[9]

Cognate with Old Occitan principalitat.^[10] The English word principality (about 1300) comes from the Old French word and directly from Late Latin.^[11]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its only record before the 14th century, in the Évangile de Nicodème (second half of the 13th century), means a principal feast;^[4][2][12] Picoche glosses it as a great feast of the Church.^[4][2][12] The Anglo-Norman principalté also named the feast of Passover.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Under the influence of prince, Middle French used it for land carrying the rank of prince (1362), for sovereignty (Oresme, 1370–1372) and for the dignity of a prince (1544); as early as 1472 it is used figuratively of the rank of the prince des sots, the leader of a fools' society.^[4][2] In theology the plural principautés (1541) names the third choir of angels in Thomas Aquinas's classification, and by extension a spiritual power subject to God;^[2][10] Calvin uses it this way in the 16th century.^[2][10]

Since the 19th century the word mostly names a small independent state ruled by a prince, and la Principauté on its own means Monaco.^[2] The sense “dignity of a prince” is now dated.^[4][6]

Timeline

• 1250–1300 – Recorded as “principal feast” in the Évangile de Nicodème.^[4][2]
• 1362 – Principaltee names the land of Aquitaine that carries the title of prince.^[4][2]
• 1370–1372 – Oresme uses it for sovereignty.^[4][2]
• 1472 – Used of the rank of the prince des sots.^[4][2]
• 1541 – The plural names an order of angels.^[2]
• 1544 – First record of the sense “dignity of a prince”.^[4][2]
• 19th century – Comes to mean a small state ruled by a prince.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A small independent state whose sovereign has the title of prince or princess; a principality: la principauté de Monaco.^[6][13][14]
2. (dated) Land to which the title of prince is attached.^[6][15][7]
3. (dated) The dignity or rank of a prince.^[6][14][4]
4. (religion) In the plural, les Principautés: the third choir of angels.^[6][10]

Related words

• prince
• principal
• principalité
• principat
• royauté
• Latin prīnceps

Usage notes

Used on its own and with a capital, la Principauté means Monaco.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 392a
9. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
10. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
11. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ a b Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
13. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
14. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
15. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse