marquis

See also: Marquis

English

Alternative forms

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 *mórǵs (“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): /mɑɹˈki/, /ˈmɑɹ.kwɪs/
  • (General American, for the plural spelled marquis) IPA(key): /mɑɹˈkiz/

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

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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