Etymology

States General

Today it means: A representative assembly in the Habsburg Netherlands (until 1581) and subsequently in the Dutch Republic (until 1795), representing the three estates of clergy, nobles and commons. Full definition →

Dutch Staten-Generaal ← Middle French etats generaux
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The story

  1. Middle French · derived frometats generaux
  2. Dutch · derived fromStaten-Generaal
  3. English todayStates General

From states, plural of state + general, after Dutch Staten-Generaal, Middle French etats generaux.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 16th c. A representative assembly in the Habsburg Netherlands (until 1581) and subsequently in the Dutch Republic (until 1795), representing the three estates of clergy, nobles and commons.
  • from 16th c. A similar assembly in prerevolutionary France, occasionally convened by the King as a consultive body; it was first convened in 1392 and last in 1789, when its dissolution led to the Revolution.
  • from 19th c. The bicameral parliament of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1815 onwards.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.