Meanings
- alternativeAlternative form of Dauphiny and Dauphiné
[…] in the Delphinate […]
1652, A Martyrologie, page 312 more examples
[…] within the dominions of our beloved son, Charles, Duke of Savoy, and the Delphinate, and the cities and diocese of Vienne, and Sedun, […]
1839, History of the Waldenses, page 114Thus originated the houses of the counts of Vienne—whose territory was afterwards called the Delphinate—of Savoy—who soon extended their dominion over the Alps into Italy,—of High Burgundy—called afterwards Franche Comté—and others.
1883, The History of the World, page 224
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷelbʰ-
- Ancient Greekδελφίς (delphís)
- Latindelphīnus
- Latindelphīnātus
- LatinVienna
- LatinViennēnsis
- LatinDelphīnātus Viennēnsisellip.
- LatinDelphīnātus
- EnglishDelphinate
Borrowed from Medieval Latin Delphīnātus (literally “the Dauphinate”), ellipsis of Delphīnātus Viennēnsis (“the Dauphinate of Vienne”, literally “the Viennese Dauphinate”). The Latin delphīnātus (“dauphinate”) derives from delphīnus (“dauphin”) + -ātus (suffix forming abstract nouns). Doublet of dauphinate, Dauphiny, and Dauphiné.
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Delphinate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Delphinate
“Delphinate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Delphinate. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Delphinate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Delphinate.
Source: Delphinate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.