Marchions

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. A nobleman of a rank higher than a count but lower than a duke, often governing border regions
2. A feudal title historically associated with the administrative control of areas on the frontiers
3. An aristocrat with responsibilities in military defense and land management, typically in a march or border region

Etymology: "Marchions" is the plural of "marchion," an older English spelling of "marquess," the British peerage rank between duke and earl. The word traces back through Old French "marchis" (or "marchis"-type forms) to medieval Latin "marchensis," meaning a lord of a march, that is, a border region. Its root is the Germanic-derived word for a frontier that English also keeps in "march," the boundary land itself, which entered English through Old French "marche." The plural "marchions" is the form of "marchion," so its story is the same. The rank took its name from the job: these lords were set over the frontier territories where Britain and its neighbours met, and the title kept the memory of that military duty long after the borders had settled.