countesse

English

Noun

countesse (plural countesses)

1. Obsolete spelling of countess.
   • 1608, Ed[ward] Grimeston, A Generall Historie of the Netherlands, London: […] A. Islip and G. Eld, page 1345:

     There were then alſo preſent (to honor the Infanta) the Counteſſe of Mansfeldt, daughter to the Earle of Egmond, the Counteſſe of Aremberghe, the Marqueſſe of Berghen, the Counteſſe of Egmont, the Counteſſes of Barlaimont, Lalaine, Solue, Boſſu, Fontenay, Berghe, Bye, Eſſingen, Freſſin and Bruay, the Counteſſe of Saint Aldegonde, the Counteſſe of Baſſigny, and the Counteſſe of Maleſpina.

   • 1630, Morgan Godwyn, Annales of England. Containing the Reignes of Henry the Eighth. Edward the Sixt. Queene Mary., London: […] A. Islip, and W. Stansby, page 304:

     Queene Mary had her education for ſome yeares vnder Margaret Counteſſe of Salisbury the Mother of Poole (who was then a childe) and that by Queene Catharines meanes, who intended (as it was thought) to marry her Daughter the Lady Mary to one of the Counteſſes Sonnes, […]

   • 1652, The History of the Valorous and VVitty-Knight-Errant, Don-Quixote, of the Mancha, London: […] Richard Hodgkinsonne, for Andrew Crooke, page 204:

     Beſides, this is a Counteſſe; and when your Counteſſes are Waiting-women, ’tis either to Queens or Empreſſes, who in their houſes are moſt abſolute, and are ſerved by other Wayting-women.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cometas, comytiss, contasse, conteise, contesse, countas, countasse, countes, cowntas, cowntes, cowntysse, cuntas, cuntasse, cuntesse

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French contesse; equivalent to counte (“count”) +‎ -esse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuːnˈtɛs(ə)/, /ˈkuːntɛs(ə)/, /kunˈtɛs(ə)/, /ˈkuntɛs(ə)/

Noun

countesse (plural countesses)

1. A countess (wife of a count, earl, or analogous noble)
2. A countess (female ruler of a county)

Descendants

• English: countess

References

• “cǒuntes(se, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.