Le Figaro: "Count, marquis, duke... Do you know what these titles mean?"

Today, there are over 4,000 members of the French nobility / Bridgeman Images

"Prince, duke, count, marquis, viscount, vidame, baron, chevalier, messire, écuyer, noble..." These are the hierarchical titles of the Ancien Régime, as listed in the decree abolishing hereditary nobility of June 19, 1740. These are known as real titles or bare titles. The former are titles of nobility based on the acquisition of fiefs of dignity (duchy, marquisate, county, viscounty or barony). Bare titles, on the other hand, are not based on the possession of estates: they can be personal or transmissible, and thus passed on to descendants. This is the case with titles such as "chevalier", "messire"," écuyer" and" noble".

According to the Association de la Noblesse Française (ANF), very few of them held a title of nobility in the Middle Ages. New titles were then created by successive regimes: Ancien Régime, First Empire, Restoration, Louis-Philippe, Second Empire. "According to some authors, from princes or dukes to barons, 5 titles were created by Louis XII, 12 by François I, 12 by Henri II, 39 by Charles IX, 34 by Henri II, 68 by Henri IV, 106 by Louis XIII, 623 by Louis XIV, 447 by Louis XV and 66 by Louis XVI. The exceptional length of Louis XIV's reign is no stranger to the large number of titles. In the 19th century, with the Empire, there was inflation! Although today the title is not recognized by the Republic, it retains an honorary status. Today, there are over 4,000 members descended from the old French nobility. But what do they literally mean? We take a look.

We have to go back to the Roman Empire to find the origin of this word. A prince is someone who is "first by blood or rank", according to the Trésor de la langue française. The word comes from the Latin "princeps", meaning "one who occupies the first place", hence the special meaning of "princeps senatus" for "prince of the senate". During the reign of Emperor Augustus, the word became synonymous with"emperor", as the latter, who held the position of prince of the senate, had concentrated all power in his hands. Then, in the context of feudalism in the 12th century, the word was taken up again with the meaning of "one who possesses sovereignty". From the 15th century onwards, it came to mean "one who reigns", almost synonymous with "sovereign, who exercises real power" and sometimes "king". Hence common expressions such as "le jeu du prince" (the prince's game), "le fait du prince " (a 19th-century expression referring to the arbitrariness of power). In France, this is the highest title of nobility.

A duke is often associated with the leader of an army. From the Latin "dux, ducis", derived from "ducere" ("to lead" or "to drive"). The word " duke" means "conductor, guide", hence "leader, general", which is often associated with this title. During the Roman Empire, the duke was the "governor of a province of the empire". Then, during the Merovingian period in the 7th century, it was used to designate the king's delegate for military affairs and justice in a district made up of several counties, according to the Dictionnaire historique de la langue française. During the High Middle Ages, it was used to designate the leader of an army, a tribe and/or the ruler of an administrative district larger than a county. From the 13th century onwards, its function gradually evolved to indicate the person who governed a territory (the duchy), in principle reporting to the king. With the abandonment of feudal institutions, modern and contemporary times have made the duke either the prince of a sovereign house bearing the title of duke, or the one who bears the highest honorary title of nobility, after that of "prince".

He is the "companion", the one who is "bound, in the service of someone", be it a magistrate, a Roman emperor, before becoming the representative of these high figures, entrusted with certain public, sometimes military, functions. The word comes from the Latin "comes", "comitis", meaning "the one who goes with". The notion of "marching" present in the term "comes" disappeared from usage for the broad meaning of "companion", recalls the Dictionnaire historique de la langue française. With the Merovingians and Carolingians, the term " comte" evolved to designate the title given to high dignitaries, notably "comites palatii " ("palace dignitaries"). It wasn't until the 9th century, with the weakening of royal power, that the word came to be applied to a person who independently owned a fief (county), learnt from the Trésor de la langue française. He often received a civil or military command from the king or duke. Indeed, "comte" and "baron" were the main titles used to designate great vassals. Its feudal definition then changed to designate only the title of nobility of those between marquis and viscount.

Located above the count, the "marquis " is also a count, but with military powers that allow him to raise the army's contingent without having received orders from the sovereign. Why was this so? Because he was often a military governor responsible for guarding provinces or border towns called "marches" or " marquisats". This is where the name "marquis" comes from, borrowed in the 11th century from the Germanic "marka" ("sign marking a limit", "frontier"). This meant he had to be able to react quickly militarily, without having to ask for authorization beforehand. The name " march" was historically applied to the military district on the bangs of an enemy country, headed by "margraves" (the ancient title of German sovereign princes) or "marquis". In the 13th century, the title "marquis " was used as a hereditary title of nobility by the Italians, "marchese". It should be noted that the Italian word with its final " -ese " is derived from the Old French "marchis" (attested in the 11th century) and supplanted by "marquis". The word then became a seigniorial title linked to the possession of land in the 17th century, then a "simple" title of nobility after that of duke and before that of count. By analogy, the word was then applied to a ridiculously pretentious and fatuous character, used in comedy to denounce the failings of certain courtiers. Refined, elegant and affected, they were ironically called "marquis" or "petit marquis".

The word comes from the Germanic "baro" meaning"free man" or "mercenary", which is related to the Old Norse "berja" for "to strike, to kill". Borrowed from Frankish "baro" in the 5th century during the invasion of northern Gaul , the term "sacebarones" ("sace" probably comes from Old Norse "saka " for "to accuse, to fight", hence "sace" meaning "dispute, trial") was used to designate those responsible for collecting judicial fines. It is attested to in the Salic Law as "official subordinate to the count". Barons" were the nobles of the kingdom, vassals descended from the nobility. In the 12th century, it surprisingly took on the semantic meaning of"brave, valiant man", saint and then husband. Then, in feudal France, the title of nobility gradually supplanted the original meaning of "man". The value of "great lord vassal of a sovereign" survives in history. By analogy, a man powerful in his domain.

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By Le Figaro

Published March 5, 2024