Lothair

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historical male given name notably borne by several medieval European rulers and nobles, often associated with Frankish and Holy Roman Empire royal lineage
2. A traditional personal name common in early European history, especially among kings and emperors of the Middle Ages who ruled parts of what is now France, Germany, and Italy
3. A proper name of Germanic origin used by prominent figures in medieval history, particularly kings and emperors who played significant roles in European political and dynastic affairs

Etymology: Lothair is a personal name, and its history runs back to a Germanic warrior's name built from two elements: the first, "hlūd, meant "famous" or "loud," and the second, "harja, meant "army." Because the name was formed in the Germanic-speaking world long before English existed, it reached English only through a chain of other languages. It passed from Proto-West Germanic *Hlūdhari into Medieval Latin as Lotharius, and from there into French as Lothaire, the form that English took over. The name's fame in Europe comes largely from the Carolingian dynasty, where several rulers bore it. The most prominent was Lothair I, grandson of Charlemagne, whose share of the empire after 843 became the Middle Kingdom of Lotharingia, the source of the modern name Lorraine. The same ancient root thus survives in a region's name as well as in the personal name itself.