margrave

From Middle Dutch marcgrāve (modern Dutch markgraaf), cognate with Old High German marcgrāvo (modern German Markgraf), from Proto-Germanic *markō (“boundary; boundary marker”) + *grafa (“military rank”), from Latin graphio.

Compare marchion, marquis, landgrave.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑːɡɹeɪv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑɹɡɹeɪv/

margrave (plural margraves)

1. (historical) A feudal era military-administrative officer of comital rank in the Carolingian empire and some successor states, originally in charge of a border area.
   • 1973: Among pulverised heads of stone margraves and electors, reconnoitering a likely-looking cabbage patch, all of a sudden Slothrop picks up the scent of an unmistakable no it can’t be yes it is it’s a REEFER! — Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
2. (historical) A hereditary ruling prince in certain feudal states of the Holy Roman Empire and elsewhere; the titular equivalent became known as marquis or marquess.
   • 1516, Thomas More, Utopia Chapter 1.

     The Margrave of Bruges was their head.

From Middle Dutch marcgrāve (modern Dutch markgraaf).

• IPA^(key): /maʁ.ɡʁav/

margrave m (plural margraves)

1. A margrave

• margraviat m

• marquis m

margrave f (plural margraves)

1. margravine

• margravine

• “margrave” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

margrave m (plural margraves)

1. margrave (military officer in charge of German border area)

From German Markgraf.

• IPA^(key): /marˈɡɾabe/, [marˈɣɾaβe]

margrave m (plural margraves)

1. margrave (military-administrative officer)

• “margrave” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.