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Origin and history of empress

empress(n.)

"woman who rules over an empire," mid-12c., emperice, from Old French emperesse, fem. of emperere (see emperor). Queen Victoria in 1876 became one as "Empress of India."

also from mid-12c.

Entries linking to empress

emperor(n.)

"sovereign ruler of an empire," early 13c., emperour, from Old French empereor "emperor, leader, ruler" (11c.; accusative; nominative emperere; Modern French empereur), from Latin imperatorem (nominative imperator) "commander, emperor," from past participle stem of imperare "to command" (see empire).

The Latin word was a title conferred by vote of the Roman army on a successful general, later by the Senate on Julius and Augustus Caesar and adopted by their successors except Tiberius and Claudius.

In Europe in the Middle Ages, applied to rulers of China, Japan, etc. In English originally of the Roman emperors or Holy Roman emperors (who in German documents are called kaiser). In 1804 Napoleon took the title "Emperor of the French."

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