vice-roi

Forms

vice-roi m (plural vice-rois)^[1] Middle French vige-roy and virroy (1463), vice-roy (1466), vis-roy (1477) and visce-roy (1478).^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French vice- + roi (“king”).^[2][5][6][7] The prefix comes from Latin vice (“in place of”), the ablative of a noun whose genitive is vicis (“turn, succession”).^[2][3] roi is from Latin rēx (“king”).^[7]

English viceroy (1520s) was taken from the French word.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as vige-roy in 1463, in the royal ordinances, for the direct delegate of a king's power.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word names the delegate who governs a territory in the name of a king, usually a large territory, often conquered or foreign, with the standing of a kingdom: the viceroys of Naples, of Ireland, of India.^[2][6] Littré also records it for the governor of provinces that had never been kingdoms, as in Catalonia, and for a kind of duck and a variety of tulip.^[9]

The spelling Vice-Roy is in Richelet's dictionary in 1680, the year vice-royauté is first recorded.^[2][7][3] An adjective vice-royal exists but is rare.^[2]

Timeline

• 1463 – Vige-roy and virroy are recorded.^[2][3]
• 1466 – The spelling vice-roy appears in the letters of Louis XI.^[4][3]
• 1520s – English viceroy is taken from French.^[8]
• 1680 – Richelet records Vice-Roy.^[2]
• 1680 – Vice-royauté is first recorded.^[7][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A viceroy: one to whom a king or emperor has delegated his authority to govern a kingdom or a province with the title of kingdom.^[6][2][10]
2. (dated) The governor of certain provinces that were never kingdoms.^[9]
3. (dated) A kind of duck, also a variety of tulip.^[9]

Word family

• vice-royauté

Related words

• roi
• royauté
• Latin rēx
• English viceroy

Usage notes

The plural is vice-rois.^[6][4]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
10. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)