Difference between revisions of "Marquis"
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| − | + | ''As an Amtgard title, appears in the order of precedence, just above [[Count]] and just below [[Duke]].'' | |
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| + | ===Definition from Wikipedia=== | ||
| + | A marquess (English spelling) or marquis (North American English and French spelling) is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European monarchies and some of their colonies. | ||
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| + | The original title was Margrave, or rather its original in German, Markgraf, with a few equivalents in other languages in use in parts of the Holy Roman Empire (such as Markgraaf in Dutch, Margravio in Italian). The English word derives via the Middle French marquis (feminine, marquise) from Old French Marchis from Medieval Latin marca "frontier, frontier territory" - also seen in the Germanic word for 'border' (mark) - which in English became march, plural marches. The French form marquis, recorded in English since 1300, is still sometimes used (especially in Scotland), though marquess is now the preferred British usage. They were originally counts who were granted extra powers because they guarded border areas. This gave them precedence over other counts (in England, earls). This origin is still evident in the German language (Mark+graf=March+count). | ||
| + | In Venice, so many of the nobles in the Libro d'Oro styled themselves marchese by 1529, that when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, entered Venice that year, he lost patience with the distinctions among his recent, desultory enemies: Vos omnes marchiones appello, he announced ("I call all of you marchesi"), to the delight of a contemporary Florentine. This story was revived when Genoa joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861: all the patricians of Genoa were declared marchesi al cognome ("marchesi by name"—"only" being implied). | ||
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| + | ===How do you become one?=== | ||
| + | It varies from Kingdom to Kingdom. | ||
Revision as of 21:41, 30 October 2007
As an Amtgard title, appears in the order of precedence, just above Count and just below Duke.
Definition from Wikipedia
A marquess (English spelling) or marquis (North American English and French spelling) is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European monarchies and some of their colonies.
The original title was Margrave, or rather its original in German, Markgraf, with a few equivalents in other languages in use in parts of the Holy Roman Empire (such as Markgraaf in Dutch, Margravio in Italian). The English word derives via the Middle French marquis (feminine, marquise) from Old French Marchis from Medieval Latin marca "frontier, frontier territory" - also seen in the Germanic word for 'border' (mark) - which in English became march, plural marches. The French form marquis, recorded in English since 1300, is still sometimes used (especially in Scotland), though marquess is now the preferred British usage. They were originally counts who were granted extra powers because they guarded border areas. This gave them precedence over other counts (in England, earls). This origin is still evident in the German language (Mark+graf=March+count). In Venice, so many of the nobles in the Libro d'Oro styled themselves marchese by 1529, that when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, entered Venice that year, he lost patience with the distinctions among his recent, desultory enemies: Vos omnes marchiones appello, he announced ("I call all of you marchesi"), to the delight of a contemporary Florentine. This story was revived when Genoa joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861: all the patricians of Genoa were declared marchesi al cognome ("marchesi by name"—"only" being implied).
How do you become one?
It varies from Kingdom to Kingdom.
