prince
/prɪns/
noun
Origin
Latin
princeps — first leader, chief, or first in order
Overview
Meaning Now
- A male member of a royal family, especially a son of a sovereign.
- A nobleman of high rank, or a ruler of a small principality.
Literal older meaning
first taker, one who takes the lead
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
prince
Earliest period
12th century
Journey
The title derived from the Roman 'princeps', originally a title for the Emperor as 'first among equals' (princeps senatus), rather than a hereditary monarch. Over time, it evolved into a rank in the feudal hierarchy.
Evolution
- Latin
princeps
“first citizen, chief, leader”
Compound of primus 'first' and capere 'to take'.
- Old French
prince
“sovereign, prince”
Direct adoption of the nominative/oblique stem form.
- Middle English
prince
“monarch, noble”
Entered English following the Norman Conquest.
Connections
Word parts
prim-
root
first
-ceps
root
taker
Related across languages
French
prince
Italian
principe
prince
Related words
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Related to prince
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.