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Origin and history of throne

throne(n.)

c. 1200, trone, "the seat of God or a saint in heaven;" c. 1300, "seat occupied by a sovereign, potentate, or dignity on earth," from Old French trone (12c., Modern French trône), from Latin thronus (Medieval Latin tronus), from Greek thronos "elevated seat, chair, throne," according to Watkins from suffixed form of PIE root *dher- "to hold firmly, support" (source also of Latin firmus "firm, steadfast, strong, stable," Sanskrit dharma "statute, law").

Attested from late 14c. figuratively as a symbol of royal power. The colloquial meaning "toilet" is by 1960; comparison of the toilet to a throne is by 1922. The classical -h- begins to appear in English from late 14c. Related: Thronal.

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to throne

dethrone(v.)

c. 1600, "remove or drive from a throne, depose;" see de- (privative) + throne. Figurative sense "divest of power or authority" is from 1640s. Related: Dethroned; dethroning.

enthrone(v.)

"to place on a throne, exalt to the seat of royalty," c. 1600, from en- (1) + throne (n.). Replacing enthronize (late 14c.), from Old French introniser (13c.), from Late Latin inthronizare, from Greek enthronizein. Also simply throne (v.), late 14c., from the noun in English. Related: Enthroned; enthroning.

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toilet
1530s, earliest in English in an obsolete sense "cover or bag for clothes," from French toilette "a cloth; a bag for clothes," diminutive of toile "cloth, net" (see toil (n.2)). Toilet acquired an association with upper class dressing by 18c., through the specific sense "a fine c
can
Old English 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of cunnan "to know," less commonly as an auxiliary, "have power to, to be able," (also "have carnal knowledge"), from Proto-Germanic *kunnjanan "be mentally able, have learned" (source also of Old Norse kenna "become acqu
commode
1786, "decorative chest of drawers for holding clothes, handy articles, etc.," earlier (1680s) name of a type of fashionable ladies' large, high headdress mounted on a wire frame, from French commode, noun use of adjective meaning "convenient, suitable," from Latin commodus "prop
see
c. 1300, "throne of a bishop, archbishop, or pope," also "throne of a monarch, a goddess, the Antichrist, etc.," from Old...French sie "seat, throne; town, capital; episcopal see," from Latin sedem (nominative sedes) "seat, throne, abode, temple...
chair
"a seat with a back, intended for one person," early 13c., chaere, from Old French chaiere "chair, seat, throne" (12c.; Modern...French chaire "pulpit, throne;" the humbler sense having gone since 16c. with the variant form chaise), from Latin cathedra...
stool
(source also of Old Frisian stol, Old Norse stoll, Old High German stuol, German Stuhl "seat," Gothic stols "high seat, throne...The English word was originally used of thrones (as in cynestol "royal seat, throne") and in early Middle English still of...
accession
From 1640s as "act of coming to a position or into possession," especially in reference to a throne....
billet
1590s, "to assign quarters to, to direct (a soldier) by note to a lodging place," from a noun meaning "a ticket given by a military officer directing a person to whom it is addressed to provide board and lodging for the soldier carrying it" (1640s). This was a specific use of the
office
mid-13c., "a post in government or administration, an employment to which certain duties are attached, secular position of authority or responsibility," from Anglo-French and Old French ofice "place or function; divine service" (12c. in Old French) and directly from Latin officiu
post
"a timber of considerable size set upright," from Old English post "pillar, doorpost," and from Old French post "post, upright beam," both from Latin postis "door, post, doorpost," in Medieval Latin "a beam, rod, pole," which is perhaps from Vulgar Latin *por- "forth," a variant

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