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principissa

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word principissa

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
989, charter
Ultimate origin
Latin prīnceps
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin princeps
French prince
Italian principe
Latin principissa
From the same root
Italian principessa ← principe

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [priːŋ.kɪˈpɪs.sa], [prɪŋ.kɪˈpɪs.sa][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [prin̠ʲ.t͡ʃiˈpis.sa][1]

Forms

prī̆ncipissa f (genitive prī̆ncipissae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prīnceps (“prince, ruler”) + -issa.[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds it first in a charter of 989,[2] for a princess, duchess or queen.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Niermeyer gives the senses queen and duchess.[4] In British sources it names a woman of a royal family, a noblewoman or a princess, is also applied to a queen, and in the phrase principissa civitatum means a capital city.[5] Polish records use it for the wife or daughter of a prince, as in 1372 for Elizabeth, queen of Hungary, and for an abbess or prioress.[3] Du Cange cites it for a principality in a charter of 1480, and, as principissa belli, for the leader of an army: annals under the year 1429 give the title to a peasant girl named Johanna.[6]

Timeline

  • 989 – A charter has the word.[2]
  • 1372 – A Polish record calls Elizabeth, queen of Hungary, principissa.[3]
  • 1378 – A Polish record uses it for an abbess or prioress.[3]
  • 1480 – A charter uses it for a principality.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A princess, a woman of a royal or princely family.[5][7][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A queen.[4][5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A duchess.[4]
  4. (Medieval Latin) An abbess or prioress.[3]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A principality.[6]
  6. (Medieval Latin, figurative) principissa civitatum: a capital city.[5]
  7. (Medieval Latin) principissa belli: the leader of an army.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  4. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Principissa.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/principissa. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·