Charlemagne
/ˈʃɑːrləmeɪn/
noun
Origin
Latin
Carolus Magnus — Charles the Great
Overview
Meaning Now
- King of the Franks, King of the Lombards, and Emperor of the Romans, who unified much of Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
Literal older meaning
Charles the Great
Language path
Frankish → Old French → English
Earliest form
Karolus Magnus
Earliest period
8th century
Journey
Charlemagne (Charles I) was the first recognized emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. His reign sparked the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of cultural and intellectual revival.
Evolution
- 8th century
Karolus Magnus
“Charles the Great (Latin)”
- 11th century
Charlemaine
“Charles the Great (Old French)”
Phonetic evolution from Karolus
- Modern era
Charlemagne
“The historical ruler”
Connections
Word parts
Charles
root
Man, free man
magne
root
Great
Related across languages
German
Karl der Große
Charles the Great
Italian
Carlo Magno
Charles the Great
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Related to Charlemagne
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.