comtesse

See also: cometesse and Comtesse

English

Etymology

From French comtesse.

Noun

comtesse (plural comtesses)

1. A French countess.
   • 1830, Autobiography: A Collection of the Most Instructive and Amusing Lives Ever Published, Written by the Parties Themselves. […], volume XXIX (Madame du Barri), London: Whittaker, Treacher, and Arnot, […], pages 81–82:

     The king is impatient to see the comtesse, and I have promised that she will sup with him to-morrow evening in my apartment at Versailles.

   • 1982, Mary Jane Staples, Nurse Anna’s War, Corgi Books, published 2011, →ISBN, page 143:

     ‘Louise Victoria is a comtesse?’ murmured the major. […] You’ll agree, I think, Madame Dupont, that some young ladies are to be cherished, whether they’re comtesses or not?

   • 2009, Annaliese Evans, Night’s Rose, Tor Books, →ISBN, pages 18–19:

     “That is not fitting speech for a comtesse, not to mention highly unfashionable language for a young lady to use in mixed company.” […] “You have known many comtesses?” she asked, lowering her sword, sensing the threat from Gareth had passed . . . at least for now.

Coordinate terms

• comte

Related terms

• vicomtesse

French

Etymology

From Middle French contese, contesse, from Old French contesce, contesse, cuntesse; equivalent to comte (“earl”) +‎ -esse (“-ess”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.tɛs/
• Rhymes: -ɛs

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

comtesse f (plural comtesses, masculine comte)

1. countess

Descendants

• → Danish: komtesse
• → English: comtesse
• → Turkish: kontes

Further reading

• “comtesse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.