At the word "prince" everyone has different associations. Someone will remember the great Russian princes, such as Yaroslav the Wise or Yuri Dolgoruky. Someone would come up with the images of imperial balls at which the heirs of the throne were represented by the upper classes: counts, dukes, princes. And some even immediately represent the world map and the tiny Monaco or Liechtenstein indicated on it - the last principalities of the Earth.
The origin of the word "prince" is very foggy. On the one hand, there are popular versions recognized by many historians. On the other hand, there are so many of these theories ... Which of them is true? No one gives a definite answer to this question. Let's try to take a closer look at some versions.
The first version. Prince = King
In German, there is the word "König", which means king in translation. Scientists believe that the word "king" was produced on behalf of Charlemagne. Proponents of this version interpret the origin of the word "prince" just from the word "king". In defense, her adherents cite the almost identical meaning of the titles “king” and “prince”.
There are some scholars who deny the borrowing by the Slavs of this word from the Germanic language. In their opinion, everything was exactly the opposite - the word was originally Slavic, and it was the Germanic tribes that borrowed it into their language.
The second version. Knight Riding
This is one of the most controversial options. Researchers of the Old Russian language are ardent adherents of this version. The origin of the word "prince" in Russia, in their opinion, is connected with a horse. A horse in Russia is a rarity, wealth, luxury allowed only by the elite. Only wars could ride on horseback. Not peasants - as a rule, they did not have a horse at all; and if he was, then the tiller moved not on horseback, but in the cart. Not merchants - places for them in the wagon were prepared for them. The right and opportunity to ride was with the soldiers.
Proponents of this version argue as follows: the word "prince" can be divided into two parts: "pr" and "ide", where "pr" means a horse, and "ide" is interpreted as "I am, I will be." Accordingly, the “prince" is someone riding a horse, a warrior, a horseman. But not just a rider, but the main rider.
Those who consider this theory to be untenable point out the inconsistency in the main thing: the ancient form of the word “horse” sounded like “koban”.
The third version. Parent
Her supporters interpret the origin of the word "prince" from the Russian word "con". “Kon” is a word meaning several concepts at once, such as “beginning”, “foundation”, “something important”. That is, the “prince" literally in this interpretation is the founder, the ancestor.
The word "con" also denoted another concept that is closest in meaning to the current expression "live in conscience." In the interpretation of such a translation, a prince is a person who lives in accordance with truth and order; orderly person.
The fourth version is Scandinavian. How the letter “Z” “G” replaced
The origin of the word "prince" in Russian is associated with an error in the translation of chroniclers! That is exactly what the supporters of the "Scandinavian" version believe.
The Tale of Bygone Years sins with many errors and inaccuracies. Especially the ancient chroniclers liked to replace the letter “G” with the letter “Z”. Varangians magically transformed into Varangians in this annals, the word “others” for some reason turned into “friends”. The origin of the word "prince", according to historians, is just obliged to such a replacement.
The Scandinavians had a military rank - konung. When replacing a single letter, it already began to sound like “conuns”. Well, here it’s not far from the “prince".
Princes in Russia
It was possible to get a princely title in our country in different ways. The most common were three:
- Due to kinship with the ruling dynasty. In Russia, it was the Rurik dynasty, most of whose descendants wore princely titles.
- Sometimes the government itself erected some kind of particularly pleasing surname into a princely title. To do this, it was necessary to distinguish merit before the Fatherland, or simply to be like the ruling monarch. The initiative to give the title belonged to Peter the Great. Examples of such “granted" princes are the Menshikovs and Lopukhins.
- Be a representative of a foreign princely family that has taken the Russian oath.
Who exactly of the historical figures was the prince? Many surnames of noblemen of the past are well-known. Perhaps the most famous are:
- Rurikovich.
- Bagration.
- Barclay de Tolly.
- Volkonsky.
- Vorotynsky.
- Belsky.
- Golitsyn.
- Vyazemsky.
- Obolensky.
- Orlovs.
- Menshikovs.
- Razumovsky.
- Trubetskoye.
- Yusupovs.
Rurikovich - the ancestors of the princes of Russia. Interesting Facts
The very first clan, which later gave almost all the Russian princes, is the oldest clan of the Rurikovich. Probably only ardent history buffs will be able to recall all the representatives, but most will only name the most memorable names. But it was the descendants of Rurik who became the first princes of the Slavs. And that means that the Russian language is partly obliged to them by the origin of the word “prince” in Russia before Christianity (after all, the first Ruriks were pagans).
So, what did we not know about the first ruling clan in our country?
- Rurikovich ruled for 748 years - a huge period, which is longer only in the Japanese imperial house. By the way, the most famous royal dynasty of England currently rules less in time.
- The first annals in Russia began to be compiled only 200 years after the death of Rurik.
- One of the representatives of the clan, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, thoroughly confused history with his will, where he introduced a new succession order - according to him, after the death of the great prince, the state was headed not by his eldest son, but simply the eldest in the clan. Most often it was a brother or uncle.
- The distant descendants of the Ruriks were such famous historical figures as Otto von Bismarck, Alexander Dumas, George Washington, George W. Bush (senior and younger), Lady Diana and Winston Churchill.
Monarchs in our country began to be called kings, not princes after the decree of Ivan the Terrible in 1574. At the same time, the kings retained the title of prince .
As the princes were called
Let the origin of the word “prince” even after centuries cause controversy among scientists, it is known for certain how the subjects of their princes dignified. They were addressed to: “Your Grace”, “Your Grace”, “Gracious Sovereign”. Later, when addressing the Grand Dukes of imperial blood, it was allowed to use the appeal "Your Highness."