Comte
/kɔ̃t/noun
A French noble title equivalent to “count,” or a person holding that rank.
Did you know?French comte comes from Latin *comes*, meaning “companion,” a word that originally described an imperial attendant before it hardened into a noble rank.
Etymological Timeline
Latin (Late Empire)
Latin
comes
“companion, attendant; later an imperial officer”
Old French
Old French
conte / comte
“count, nobleman of rank”
Middle French
French
comte
“a count; a noble title”
Modern English
English
count
“a noble rank in some European systems”