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margravial

 - 3 dictionary results

mar⋅grave

  [mahr-greyv]
Use margravial in a Sentence
–noun
1. (formerly) the hereditary title of the rulers of certain European states.
2. History/Historical. a hereditary German title, equivalent to marquis.
3. (originally) a military governor of a German mark, or border province.
Origin:
1545–55; earlier marcgrave < MD, equiv. to marke border (c. march 2 ) + grave count (c. reeve 1 ); cf. G Markgraf

Related forms:
mar⋅gra⋅vi⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To margravial
mar·grave   (mär'grāv')   
n.  

  1. The lord or military governor of a medieval German border province.

  2. Used as a hereditary title for certain princes in the Holy Roman Empire.


[Probably Middle Dutch marcgrāve : marc, march, border; see merg- in Indo-European roots + grāve, count (perhaps ultimately from Greek grapheus, scribe; see gerbh- in Indo-European roots).]
mar·gra'vi·al (-grā'vē-əl) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

margrave 
military governor of a Ger. border province, 1551, from M.Du. markgrave, from O.H.G. marcgravo; second element from graf "count, earl;" for first element see mark (1)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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