the.com/earl
A title halfway up the noble ladder, ranking dukes and marquesses above your ambitions.
means A British nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscount, the third rung of the peerage and the only native English title to survive the Norman Conquest.
from From Old English 'eorl,' a word that originally meant simply a brave man or warrior, in contrast to the 'ceorl' (a common freeman — the ancestor of 'churl'). It's related to Old Norse 'jarl,' the Scandinavian chieftain title. When the Normans arrived they brought their own Continental ranks, and 'eorl' came to stand in for what they called a 'count' — which is why an earl's wife is a 'countess' to this day, and why the abstract noun for the rank is 'earldom.'
- viking root
- From Old Norse jarl, meaning chieftain or warrior
- no female
- An earl's wife is a countess, oddly enough
- oldest rank
- The most ancient title in the British peerage
- grey's blend
- Earl Grey tea named for a 1830s prime minister
- sandwich kin
- The Earl of Sandwich gave us handheld lunch
earl of sandwich — john montagu, 4th earl of sandwich, inventor of the sandwich in 18th century england
earl grey tea — charles grey, 2nd earl grey, british prime minister whose name became attached to bergamot-flavored tea
earl of pembroke — historic welsh title held by herbert family, seat at pembroke castle since 12th century