Etymologically
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principissa

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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