marquis

See also: Marquis

English

Alternative forms
  • marquess (with a feminine suffix, but still masculine in gender)
  • marquesse (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English markis, from Old French markis, marchis, from Late Latin marchensis, from Old High German marcha and Frankish *marku, from Proto-Germanic *markō, from Proto-Indo-European *marǵ- (“edge, boundary”).

Meaning is “lord of the march”, in sense of march (“border country”).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmɑː.kwɪs/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /mɑɹ.ˈki/, /ˈmɑɹ.kwɪs/
  • (General American, for the plural spelled marquis) IPA(key): /mɑɹ.ˈkiz/

Noun

marquis (plural marquises or marquis or (obsolete) marquisses)

  1. A nobleman in England, France, and Germany, of a rank next below that of duke, but above a count. Originally, the marquis was an officer whose duty was to guard the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. The office has ceased, and the name is now a mere title conferred by letters patent or letters close.
  2. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Bassarona (or Euthalia).

Derived terms

Translations
nobleman — see marquess

References

Anagrams

Catalan

Verb

marquis

  1. second-person singular present subjunctive of marcar

French

Etymology

From Old French marchis, from the same origin as marcher.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /maʁ.ki/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

marquis m (plural marquis, feminine marquise)

  1. marquess (title of nobility)

Descendants

Further reading
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