Etymology

marquis

M3A1R1Q10U1I1S1

Today it means: 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. Full definition →

Middle English markis ← Old French markis ← Late Latin marchensis
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

marquis · noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mórǵs“edge, boundary”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*markō
  3. Frankish · derived from*marku
  4. Old High German · derived frommarcha
  5. Late Latin · derived frommarchensis
  6. Old French · derived frommarkis
  7. Middle English · inherited frommarkis
  8. English todaymarquis

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

Marquis · proper noun2

  1. French · borrowed frommarquis
  2. French · borrowed frommarquis
  3. English todayMarquis

Borrowed from French marquis.

Words from the same roots

Late Latinmarchensis all →

marchese

Frankish*marku all →

marchMarcoux

Proto-Germanic*markō all →

marchmarkmargravemarchionessMarcomanni

Proto-Indo-European*mórǵs all →

marchmark

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.