What are some of the titles, and meanings, of the middle ages (such as noble, squire, lady, lord)?

Question

Yea, but what are some more titles if there are any others. Yes I know they were high ranking in the social ladder.

Answer 1

Nobility is a traditional hereditary status that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). The term originally referred to those who were "known" or "notable" and was applied to the highest social class in pre-modern societies. In the feudal system (in Europe and elsewhere), the nobility were generally those who held a fief, often land and/or office, under vassalage, i.e. in exchange for allegiance and various, mainly military, services to the Monarch and at lower levels to another nobleman. It rapidly came to be seen as a hereditary caste, sometimes associated with a right to bear a hereditary title and, for example in pre-revolutionary France, enjoying fiscal and other privileges. Today, in most countries, "noble status" is a purely honorary dignity that confers no legal privileges; an important exception is the United Kingdom, where certain titles (titles of the peerage, until recently guaranteeing a seat in the Upper House of Westminster Parliament, hence its name House of Lords), still confer some residual privileges.

Squire: The English word Squire comes from the Old French escuier (modern French écuyer), itself derived from the Late Latin scutarius ("shield bearer"). The Classical Latin equivalent was armiger, 'arms bearer'. Squire was originally a young man who aspired to the rank of knighthood and who, as part of his development to that end, served an existing knight as his attendant or shield carrier (hence the name). However, during the middle ages the rank of esquire came to be recognized in its own right and, once knighthood ceased to be conferred by any but the monarch, it was no longer to be assumed that a squire would in due course progress to be a knight. The connection between a squire and any particular knight also ceased to exist, as did any shield carrying duties.

Lady or a Lady is a woman who is the counterpart of a lord; or, the counterpart of a gentleman.

Scholar or Academia is a collective term for the scientific and cultural community engaged in higher education and peer-reviewed research, taken as a whole.

A Lord (Laird in some Scottish contexts) is a male who has power and authority. It can have different meanings depending on the context of use. Women will usually (but not universally) take the title 'Lady' instead of Laird or Lord.

Duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy or dukedom. The tite comes from the Latin dux, which had the sense of "military commander" and was employed both by the Germanic peoples themselves and by the Roman authors covering them to refer to their war leaders. In the Middle Ages, the title signified first, among the Germanic monarchies, the rulers of the provinces and the superiors of the counts in the cities, and later, in the feudal monarchies, the highest-ranking peers of the king. Of course, there were variations on these meanings and there were even sovereign princes employing ducal titles.

An Earl or Jarl was an Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian title, meaning "chieftain" and it referred especially to chieftains set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages, whereas, in Britain, it became synonymous with the continental count. Today, an earl is a member of the British peerage and ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. Since there is no feminine form of Earl, the wife of an Earl bears the rank of Countess (the continental equivalent).

Viscount (pronounced [ˈfisˌkaʊnt]) is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl (in Britain) or a count (his continental equivalent).

A Marquess (British English spelling) or Marquis (North American English and the original French spelling) is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European monarchies and some of their colonies. The term is also used to render equivalent oriental styles as in imperial China and Japan. In the British peerage it ranks below a Duke and above an Earl, on the continent usually equivalent where a cognate title exists.

Knight is the English term for a social position (specifically a title of nobilty applied exclusively to males) originating in the Middle Ages. In Great Britain and the Dominions, knighthood is a non-heritable form of gentility, but is not nobility.

Prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for the member of the highest aristocracy. The title is given only to males and has several fundamentally different meanings--one generic, and several types of titles.

King: A male monarch, or a head of state

Queen: A female monarch, or head of state

Answer 2

It's not a real peerage title; a peerage title can not be bought. What you get when you buy the title to land is not a peerage title but a property title.You become the lord or lady of the property bought and you will not become a duke, marquess, earl, viscount or baron, that is a peer of the realm. To become a peer, you must be bestowed one by the monarch. You have to earn that honor, not pay for it.

Answer 3

Serf
- Person bound to the land, virtually a slave to the landowner, but can free themselves by running away (usually to the city) for a year and a day

Regent
Addressed as Regent or by inherited title
- Regents rule in the stead of the crowned monarch if he/she is too young to rule or occasionally if incapable of ruling due to infirmity.

Earl, Landgrave, Count, Countess
My Lord/Lady, Earl(Landgrave, Count etc.) Pat
- Roughly equivalent titles, since there is no feminine term for Earl Countess is used.

Viscount, Viscountess
My Lord/Lady, Lord(Lady) Pat, Viscount(ess) Pat
- Title granted to someone not quite important enough to be a count but too important to be a baron.

Yeoman
- Peasant who holds land in his/her own right.

Peasant
- Anyone not a noble. Collectively referred to as "the commons".

Prince Consort, Princess Consort
Your Highness, My Lord/Lady, Prince(ss) Pat
- Married to a ruling monarch.

And ofcourse

Emperor, Empress
Your (Royal) Majesty, My Lord/Lady, Emperor/Empress Pat
- Rules an empire.

Theirs also somthing called a Reeve but can't remember what it means

Answer 4

This would take more of an answer than should be posted here.

You should go to yahoogroups.com and join the authenticity list.

This has been discussed in detail there. Just sign up and go to the archives to find it and read it.

I know because I am the moderator and I run a historic recreation group. :-)

Answer 5

If I remember, a squire is a knight in training. If he serves the knight well he will begin to learn skills.

Answer 6

It was their rank in society.
Usually depicting landowners.

Answer 7

<>Here is a site that explains some of it:
http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/titles.html

Answer 8

They are all gay to a certain degree