>The German nobility ranks, which are mostly derived from the Franconian
>empire, have the title "Graf" instead of "Count". Now "Graf" is derived
>from Greek "graphein" (sp?), which means "to write". As far as I am
>concerned, the derivation from counting isn't too far-fetched.
My sources suggest that "graf" originally meant something like "scribe", something which its English form "grave" appears to confirm with its commonality to "engraver". Webster's states that the source as the Gothic gragr=EBfts (decree) which is probably the intermediary from graphein.
>I guess that Anglo-French titles like Vicomte/Viscount are derived from
>the ordinary Count,
Viscount is derived from "Vice-count".
>but what is the origin for Baron?
Obscure. Everybody thinks it's a french form of a old german word. However the word in question "Baro" ("bearer") does not exist in any surviving text (although cognates can be found in other languages. The word gets its sense from the original meaning of a bearer of burdens drifting into a sense of a strong man. "Baro" appears to be based on the latin "Baro" ("simpleton").
>Now, to get this back on topic for this list, the logical source for the
>Orlanthi High Nobility titles would be Umath's Camp or Vingkot's range
>of companions, right?
Heort's Kingdom is another possibility. I would also suggest the Kingdom of Dragon Pass but the Heortlings might disdain those titles now. Since Alakoring brought in the Rexes, he might also be a source of titles.
--Peter Metcalfe
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End of Glorantha Digest
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