seneschal

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English seneschal (recorded in English since 1393), from Old French seneschal, from Medieval Latin siniscalcus (Frankish), from Proto-Germanic *siniz (“senior”) + *skalkaz (“servant”); latter term as in marshal. As an officer of the French crown, via French sénéchal.

Noun

seneschal (plural seneschals)

  1. A steward, particularly (historical) one in charge of a medieval nobleman's estate.
    • 1884, Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Chapter 35
      […] so the very keenest seneskal can't see no sign […]
  2. (historical) An officer of the crown in late medieval and early modern France who served as a kind of governor and chief justice of the royal court in Normandy and Languedoc.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also
  • (equivalent medieval office in northern France): bailiff

Dutch

Noun

seneschal m (plural seneschallen or seneschals)

  1. Archaic form of seneschalk.

Old French

Alternative forms
  • seneschall

Noun

seneschal m (oblique plural seneschaus or seneschax or seneschals, nominative singular seneschaus or seneschax or seneschals, nominative plural seneschal)

  1. seneschal
    • circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:
      "Oïl, mout m'an sovient il bien.
      Seneschaus, savez vos an rien?
      Yes, I remember it well.
      Senschal, do you know anything about it?

Descendants
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