Re: Tsar,
Czar, King, Emperor, Caesar.....
Posted by
ESC on January 13, 2003 In Reply to: Re: Tsar,
Czar, King, Emperor, Caesar..... posted by Bruce Kahl on January 13, 2003
: : We're looking for definitions and origins that will show us
the difference in the meanings and use of the terms: Tsar, Czar, Emperor, King,
Chancellor.....Anyone out there who can help, we appreciate....
: Any of the
Roman emperors succeeding Augustus Caesar were called caesar (uncapitalized)--which
means powerful leader.
: Tzar, Czar and Kaiser are derived from caesar.
"During
the Middle Ages, democracy was unknown to most of the world. Whoever had land
had wealth, the wealthy had armies, and the armies were allied under rulers of
different kinds.
A 'king' (or 'queen') is the hereditary head of a kingdom,
a state or nation that recognizes his or her right to wield authority over them.
This recognition may have been earned at swordpoint, through wisdom, or by a combination
of both, but the end result is the same.
An 'emperor' is the supreme ruler of
an empire, which is a group of nations, clans, or even kingdoms. It, too, is a
hereditary title. (In Russia, emperors were called 'czars.')
The terms 'monarch'
and 'sovereign' are synonymous and describe either a king or an emperor. However,
monarch is usually used in conjunction with 'limited' or 'absolute.' Absolute
is self-explanatory, while limited means that the ruler exercises powers under
constitutional restrictions, like the present-day Queen of England.
A 'potentate'
can be a monarch or sovereign, but the term also describes any powerful, unelected
ruler, such as an emir or a khan."
From "What's the Difference? A Compendium
of Commonly Confused and Misused Words" by Jeff Rovin (Ballantine Books, New York,
1994).
|