princeps

See also: prínceps

English

Etymology

Latin princeps (“first, foremost”)

Noun

princeps

1. One who, or that which, is foremost, original, etc.
2. The editio princeps, or first edition of a book.

Anagrams

• Crippens

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Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *priisemokaps by syncope. Surface etymology: prīmus (“first”) +‎ -ceps (“catcher”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈpriːn.keps/, [ˈpriːŋkɛps̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈprin.t͡ʃeps/, [ˈprin̠ʲt͡ʃeps]

The length of the vowel in the first syllable is uncertain. Although the first element etymologically has a long vowel, there is evidence that originally long vowels could be shortened before consonant clusters starting in resonant consonants such as [ŋ] in Latin (a similar sound change by the name of Osthoff's Law occurred in Greek). Princeps is traditionally given with a long vowel, but an archaic Italian form prence exists, which would have developed from prĭnceps with a short vowel.

Adjective

prī̆nceps (genitive prī̆ncipis); third-declension one-termination adjective

1. first, foremost
2. chief, distinguished

Declension

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	prī̆nceps			prī̆ncipēs	prī̆ncipia
Genitive	prī̆ncipis			prī̆ncipium
Dative	prī̆ncipī			prī̆ncipibus
Accusative	prī̆ncipem	prī̆nceps		prī̆ncipēs	prī̆ncipia
Ablative	prī̆ncipī			prī̆ncipibus
Vocative	prī̆nceps			prī̆ncipēs	prī̆ncipia

Synonyms

• (first): prīmus

Noun

prī̆nceps m (genitive prī̆ncipis); third declension

1. leader, first man

   Consortionis Populorum Princeps

   Head of the Commonwealth

2. principal person
3. author, originator, founder, head
4. chief, director
5. prince, sovereign
6. (military, as plural) company or division of the second line of soldiers

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	prī̆nceps	prī̆ncipēs
Genitive	prī̆ncipis	prī̆ncipum
Dative	prī̆ncipī	prī̆ncipibus
Accusative	prī̆ncipem	prī̆ncipēs
Ablative	prī̆ncipe	prī̆ncipibus
Vocative	prī̆nceps	prī̆ncipēs

Derived terms

• Princeps
• principium
• principiō
• principor
• principālis
• principātus

 

Synonyms

• (prince): prīncipissa f

Descendants

• Albanian: pringj
• Ancient Greek: πρῖγκιψ (prînkips)
• Basque: printze
• Catalan: príncep
• Serbo-Croatian: princ
• Danish: prins
• Dutch: prins, prinses
• English: prince
• Esperanto: princo

• Faroese: prinsur
• French: prince, princesse
• German: Prinz, Prinzessin
• Greek: πρίγκιπας (prígkipas)
• Icelandic: prins
• Irish: prionsa
• Italian: principe
• Japanese: プリンス (purinsu)
• Latvian: princis
• Luxembourgish: Prënz

• Manx: prinse
• Old Occitan: prince
• Portuguese: príncipe
• Romanian: prinț
• Russian: принц (princ)
• Spanish: príncipe
• Tagalog: prinsipe
• Turkish: prens

References

• “princeps”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “princeps”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• princeps in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• princeps in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to be considered the foremost orator: primum or principem inter oratores locum obtinere
    
  • to be considered the foremost orator: oratorum principem esse
    
  • to be the chief man in the state: principem civitatis esse
    
  • to hold the first position in the state: principem in re publica locum obtinere
    
  • statesmen: principes rem publicam administrantes or simply principes
    
  • to occupy the first, second position in the state: principem (primum), secundum locum dignitatis obtinere
    
  • the aristocracy (as a leading class in government): principes or primores
    
• “princeps”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• princeps in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “princeps”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin