archduchy

From French archiduché, from Middle French, itself from archi- (“arch-”) < Latin archi- + duché (“duchy, dukedom”) < Latin dux (“leader, commander, duke”).

archduchy (plural archduchies)

1. The territory (principality) of an archduke

   The archduchies Austria and Brabant (as well as its rival Gelre) claimed this rare, primordial vassalitic rank as the successors to the former Carolingian kingdom and first archduchy Lotharingia (the name later became Lorraine), which had been divided in an Upper - and a Lower dukedom within the Holy Roman Empire

• archducal
• archdukedom

• grand duchy