Princeps

[edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com]

On Jun 22,  8:48pm, Corun MacAnndra wrote:
> Subject: Re: Alairian Coronation
> Alys wrote:
> >
> >> The Latin for Prince is Princeps - just one of those odd bits of
> >> information the brain has stored.
> >>
> >> Sue the as-yet unnamed
> >>
> >> schenoweth@usa.pipeline.com
> >
> >Are you sure that wasn't "principes?"  At least, I *think* I'm
> >remembering that from a missa, not from Italian class...
> >
> >Well, if I'm totally off, someone will be sure to tell me soon!
>
> I think you're confusing the word for Princess,

I think it's more likely that the missa you're remembering had the
plural "princes", or "to the princes", or "O princes"; any of those
would be "princepes".  Or perhaps it had the phrase "of the prince"
which would be "princepis", and you misremembered one letter.

>                                                 that being Princepissa
> (possibly spelled Princepessa).

According to the official SCA table of title equivalents at
http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html, the first is the proper Latin
form, the second the proper Italian.

>                                 The other options for Prince and Princess
> that I have come across are Regulus and Regia Puella respectively. Though
> I'm told the preferred terms are Princeps and Princepi(e)ssa.

My Classical Latin dictionary says "regulus" means "petty king, chieftain;
prince".  It gives "regis filia" (literally "king's daughter") for "princess";
"Regis Puella" would be "king's girl" with a definite denotation of "king's
sweetheart" or "king's young wife".  Of course, Medieval Latin differed from
Classical Latin.

-- Alfredus
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