Britain Has No Counts, but It Has Counties
To count is to determine a number. A count is also a European noble rank, and it left its mark on English geography.
To count is to determine a total, and a count is also a European nobleman. Britain never adopted the title — it kept the Old English *earl* instead — but it did keep the territory: a *county* is the land a count would have governed, and the wife of an earl is still a *countess*, because English had no feminine form for earl. The two words are unrelated: the numbering verb is from Latin *computare*, the title from *comes*, a companion of the emperor.
- To determine a number. *Count the votes.*
- A total. *A head count.*
- A noble rank. *Count Tolstoy.*
- Countess — the female title. *The Countess of Wessex.*
- County — a count's territory. *County borders.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | count | Count them. |
| Past | counted | He counted. |
| Noun | count | The final count. |
| Noun | countess | A countess. |
| Noun | county | A rural county. |
- They counted the ballots twice.Numbering.
- It counts as a win.To be regarded as.
- Earls' wives are called countesses.Titles.
Count phrases
- Count on — rely on
- Count out — exclude, or count aloud one by one
- Count for — be worth, as in it counts for little
- Down for the count — beaten, from boxing
- Countdown — counting backwards to zero
The verb is from Old French *conter*, from Latin *computare*, to reckon. The title is from Latin *comes*, a companion, later a provincial governor.
Why does Britain have countesses but no counts?
Britain kept the Old English title earl, which had no feminine form, so the French countess was borrowed instead.
Are the two meanings of count related?
No. The verb comes from Latin computare, to reckon. The title comes from comes, a companion of the emperor.