palatine
ˈpælətaɪn
adjective
Origin
Latin
palatium — palace
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to a palace or royal court.
- Relating to a count palatine or to a territory under the jurisdiction of a count palatine.
- Relating to the palate or the roof of the mouth (anatomy).
Literal older meaning
of or belonging to a palace
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
palatin
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originates from the Palatine Hill in Rome, where the Roman emperors built their residences. By the Middle Ages, 'palatine' was used to describe high-ranking officials who possessed autonomous authority in a specific territory, acting almost as sovereigns within their own lands—effectively 'palace' representatives granted royal powers.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
Palatium
“One of the seven hills of Rome, site of imperial palaces”
- Late Latin
palatinus
“of or belonging to the imperial palace”
- Middle French
palatin
“of or relating to a palace or count”
- Early Modern English
palatine
“relating to a palace or an official with royal-like powers”
Connections
Word parts
palat-
root
palace/palate
-ine
suffix
pertaining to
Related across languages
French
palatin
palatine
Italian
palatino
palatine
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Related to palatine
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.