chamberlain
/ˈt͡ʃeɪmbɚlɪn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.59 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A senior royal official in charge of superintending the arrangement of domestic affairs and often charged with receiving and paying out money kept in the royal chamber, especially in the United Kingdom and in Denmark.
noun
A high officer of state, as currently with the papal camerlengo, but normally now a mainly honorary title.
name
A surname.
name
A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
Example Sentences
- "Shortly after Surrey high school student Hamed Nastoh (called a “faggot” by classmates) killed himself by jumping off a bridge, James Chamberlain wrote a letter to the editor of a small newspaper called the Peace Arch News."
- "Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister at the outbreak of World War II."
Etymology
From Middle English chamberlein, chaumberlein, chaumberleyn, from Anglo-Norman chamberlenc, Old French chamberlayn, chamberlenc (“chamberlain”), from Frankish *kamarling (“chamberlain”), equivalent to *kamer (“chamber”) + *-ling (“-ling”). Cognate with Old High German chamarling (“chamberlain”). Compare also Late Latin camerārius and comrade. More at chamber, -ling.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: chamberlein, chamberlenc, chamberlayn, *kamarling
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈt͡ʃeɪmbɚlɪn/
- British English: /ˈt͡ʃeɪmbəlɪn/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in People.
Inflected Forms
chamberlains (plural)
Chamberlaine (alternative)