English
county
County comes from Latin comitātus ‘jurisdiction of a count’, and goes back to comes.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomes‘count’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomitātus‘jurisdiction of a count’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400counté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500countee
- Englishearliest quotation 1886county
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomes‘count’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcomitātus‘jurisdiction of a count’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400counté
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500countee
- Englishearliest quotation 1886county
Earliest quotation: 1886, Andrew Lang: “Now, in the district around Chipping Carby, the County…”
The story
Mostly displaced native Old English sċīr, whence Modern English shire.
Linked words
through Latin comes ‘count, earl’
comes, conte, concomitant, 8 more
through Latin comitātus ‘jurisdiction of a count’
Today it means
noun The land ruled by a count or a countess.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin comes / county