county English · revision 3525

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1303 (Mannyng)|origins=la comes}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈkaʊn.ti/, US /ˈkaʊn.t̬i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|counte]], [[bor|xno|counté]] (Old French [[m|fro|conté]], modern [[m|fr|comté]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) from [[la-med|comitātus|t=domain of a count]],^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) from [[la-lat|comitātus|t=office of a count]],^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) from Latin [[m|la|comitātus|t=retinue, escort]],^(AHD 2000)^(Klein 1966) from [[m|la|comes|t=companion]], the source of [[count]], “nobleman”.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Klein 1966) It replaced Old English [[m|ang|scīr]], [[shire]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A shire court, the periodical meeting under the sheriff: about 1303, in Mannyng's ''Handlyng Synne'',^(Barnhart 1988) or 1217 in the OED's record.^(OED 1989) A shire is recorded before 1338, in Mannyng's ''Chronicle''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A definite division of a country for administrative purposes is from the mid-14th century,^(Etymonline) and the domain of a count or earl from about 1377,^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) a sense the OED notes was common in Anglo-French but rare in English.^(OED 1989) A ''county palatine'', with special privileges, such as Lancaster, Chester and Durham, is from the mid-15th century^(Etymonline) or 1491.^(OED 1989) The county gentry are ''the county'' from 1647.^(OED 1989) The word was introduced into most British colonies as the name of an administrative division, from 1683,^(OED 1989) and ''county seat'' is American English by 1848.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1217 – a shire court.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1338 – a shire.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * mid-14th century – an administrative division.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1377 – the domain of a count.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1491 – ''county palatine''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1647 – the county gentry.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1683 – a colonial division.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1848 – ''county seat''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An administrative subdivision of a US state.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A territorial division with administrative and judicial functions in Britain and Ireland; a [[shire]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(historical)'' The territory of a [[count]] or [[earl]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # The people of a county.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[subcounty]]

+ * [[countywide]]

+ * [[county court]]

+ * [[county fair]]

+ * [[county palatine]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[count]]

+ * [[viscount]]

+ * [[shire]]

+ * [[concomitant]]

+ * [[constable]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A separate, obsolete ''county'' meant a count, a nobleman, from Middle French ''comte'', recorded from 1550.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)^(SOED 2002) In Irish and northern dialect, a “county crop” was hair cut very short, as in the county prison.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}