The word "princess" is spelled P-R-I-N-C-E-S-S in the modern English language.
The word is the feminine equivalent of prince, which comes from the Anglo-Norman, Old French word of 'prince'.
It is believed that this word derived from the Latin word "princeps", which translates as 'first head'. This in itself is an amalgamation of two words "primus" meaning first and "capere" meaning to seize or take.
Originally being a masculine word, the suffix "-ess" was added to the word to mean a female equivalent, thus 'prince' became 'princess' and it is believed the term was first widely used in France during the 14th century.
The term can mean several things, it can mean the female monarch, or wife of the ruler of a principality (an area of land traditionally ruled over by a prince). As in the former Princess Grace, Princess of Monaco.
Furthermore, it can also refer to the daughter (or granddaughter) of a current head of state and the term is used both in real life and in fiction, for example as in Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice or Princess Leia.
The word can also be used to describe a young girl who may not have royal lineage but who has qualities that seem to fit that description. Therefore a happy, selfless and occasionally beautiful young girl may be described as a "princess" by her admirers, for example: "Claire's been so helpful and kind today, she is a princess".
Occasionally, the word can be used in a negative manner to describe a person who embodies some of the less welcome traits of stereotypical princesses. A young woman who is self-absorbed, vain, spoiled by her parents and who expects to be treated as better than her peers can sometimes be described as a princess in a derogatory manner, for example: "she is so in love with herself, she thinks she is a real princess."
Many languages across the globe have their own version of the word princess, which is very similar to the English variant. Some of the most popular are listed below.
The word is the feminine equivalent of prince, which comes from the Anglo-Norman, Old French word of 'prince'.
It is believed that this word derived from the Latin word "princeps", which translates as 'first head'. This in itself is an amalgamation of two words "primus" meaning first and "capere" meaning to seize or take.
Originally being a masculine word, the suffix "-ess" was added to the word to mean a female equivalent, thus 'prince' became 'princess' and it is believed the term was first widely used in France during the 14th century.
The term can mean several things, it can mean the female monarch, or wife of the ruler of a principality (an area of land traditionally ruled over by a prince). As in the former Princess Grace, Princess of Monaco.
Furthermore, it can also refer to the daughter (or granddaughter) of a current head of state and the term is used both in real life and in fiction, for example as in Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice or Princess Leia.
The word can also be used to describe a young girl who may not have royal lineage but who has qualities that seem to fit that description. Therefore a happy, selfless and occasionally beautiful young girl may be described as a "princess" by her admirers, for example: "Claire's been so helpful and kind today, she is a princess".
Occasionally, the word can be used in a negative manner to describe a person who embodies some of the less welcome traits of stereotypical princesses. A young woman who is self-absorbed, vain, spoiled by her parents and who expects to be treated as better than her peers can sometimes be described as a princess in a derogatory manner, for example: "she is so in love with herself, she thinks she is a real princess."
Many languages across the globe have their own version of the word princess, which is very similar to the English variant. Some of the most popular are listed below.
- French - "princesse"
- Spanish - "princesa"
- Italian - "principesa"
- German - "prinzessin"
- Dutch - "prinses"
