Maisterschipe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Rule, command, or power exercised over other people ; the high level of skill or knowledge that marks someone as an expert
2. Authority held over subjects or followers ; a commanding degree of ability that sets a person apart from ordinary practitioners
3. The control or sway one party holds over another ; the outstanding proficiency that allows a craftsman or scholar to excel

Etymology: "Maisterschipe" is a Middle English word, meaning mastery, dominion, or the skill and authority of a master. It was formed by adding the suffix "-schipe", from Old English "-scipe", to "maister", the Middle English form of "master", which came into English from Old French "maistre" and ultimately from Latin "magister". The suffix "-schipe" meant a state, condition, or quality, and it is the same ending found in "friendship" and "lordship". The pattern is simple, but the word is rare. Its early uses appear in the late 1300s, when English writers were still building abstract nouns from native roots alongside the many French and Latin loanwords arriving at the time. Its near-twin "mastership" survived into modern English, while "maisterschipe" itself dropped out of use.