Etymologically
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princeps

Etymology and origin of the Latin word princeps

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Ennius
Ultimate origin
Latin (prīmus,capiō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpriːŋ.kɛps], [ˈprɪŋ.kɛps][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprin̠ʲ.t͡ʃeps][1]

Forms

prī̆nceps m or f (genitive prī̆ncipis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from prīmus “first” and -ceps (“taking”), from capiō “to take”: one who takes the first place.[2][1][3][4] Compare the Old English cognate of prīmus, Old English fruma (“chief, prince”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Ennius, whom he dates 204–169 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant first in time, earliest, as Cicero's man first in danger, taking the front position, original, and first in rank, chief, most distinguished.[2][4] As a noun it meant an originator, founder, a master in some field, and a leading man, chief, especially a leading citizen, as in Cicero; the prīnceps senātūs headed the senate's list.[2] It meant the person in charge, a leader, and the prīnceps iuventūtis, a title of young imperial princes.[2] Augustus adopted prīnceps as his title, stressing the civilian nature of his rule, and it came to mean emperor, as in Horace.[2] In the army the prīncipēs were a class of legionaries, and a prīnceps a centurion, as in Caesar.[2] Döderlein says prīmus is first in place or time, prīnceps first in action, whom others follow.[6]

In Medieval Latin it meant a king, the mayor of the palace, a court dignitary, and in Christian Latin prīncipēs sacerdōtum were the chief priests.[7][8] It survives in Italian principe and French prince.[1] English prince came through Old French about 1200, and English principle from its derivative prīncipium.[9]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.[5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of leading citizens and of the head of the senate.[2][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of Augustus.[2][5]
  • c. 1200 – English prince is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An originator, founder.[2]
  2. A leading man, chief; a leading citizen.[2]
  3. prīnceps senātūs, the leader of the senate.[2]
  4. A leader, head.[2]
  5. (imperial) The emperor, prīnceps iuventūtis, a title of imperial princes.[2]
  6. (military) A soldier of the second line; a centurion.[2]
  7. (Medieval Latin) A prince, king.[7]

Adjective

  1. First, earliest; leading.[2]
  2. Chief, most distinguished.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Princeps.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/princeps. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·