Definition
In ancient Athens or the Byzantine Empire, a queen, empress, or a woman of royal rank, or a priestess performing sacred duties.
Etymology
From Greek basilissa, feminine form of basileus (king). The term became especially important in Byzantine royal protocol.
Kelly Says
Byzantine court ceremonies obsessed over exactly which women could be called Basilissa—tiny changes in a title meant huge differences in power and status, showing how language controlled real political authority.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ባዚሊስት
bah-zee-li-st
ARالعربية
بَازِيلِيسَة
ba-zee-li-sah
BNবাংলা
বাজিলীসা
ba-jee-li-sah
CACatalà
bàsilissa
bah-see-li-sah
CSČeština
basilisa
bah-zee-lee-sah
DADansk
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
DEDeutsch
Basilissa
bah-zee-lee-sah
ELΕλληνικά
βασιλίσσα
va-see-li-ssa
ESEspañol
basilisa
bah-see-lee-sah
FAفارسی
باصیلِیسا
ba-see-li-sah
FISuomi
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
FRFrançais
basilisse
bah-see-leess
GUGU
બાસિલિસા
ba-see-li-sah
HAHA
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
HEעברית
בַּזִּילִיסָה
ba-zi-li-sah
HIहिन्दी
बासिलिसा
ba-see-li-sah
HUMagyar
bázilisza
bah-zee-li-s-zah
IDBahasa Indonesia
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
IGIG
bàsílíssà
bah-see-li-sah
ITItaliano
basilissa
bah-zee-lee-sah
JA日本語
バジルイッサ
ba-ji-ri-ssa
KKKK
базылисса
bah-zee-li-ssa
KMKM
បាស៊ីលីស
ba-see-li-s
MRMR
बाजिलिसा
ba-jee-li-sah
MSBahasa Melayu
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
MYမြန်မာ
ဘာစီလစ်
ba-see-li-t
NLNederlands
basilisse
bah-see-li-se
NONorsk
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
PAPA
ਬਾਜੀਲਿਸਾ
ba-jee-li-sah
PLPolski
basilisa
bah-zee-lee-sah
PTPortuguês
basilissa
bah-see-lee-sah
RORomână
basilisa
bah-zee-lee-sah
RUРусский
базилисса
bah-zee-li-ssa
SVSvenska
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
SWKiswahili
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
TAதமிழ்
பாக்ஸிலிசா
pa-ak-si-li-sah
TEతెలుగు
బాసిలిసా
ba-si-li-sah
THไทย
ราชินีบาซิลิสก์
rat-chee-nee bah-zee-li-s-k
TLTL
basilissa
bah-see-li-sah
TRTürkçe
basilissa
bah-zee-li-sah
UKУкраїнська
базиліса
bah-zee-li-sah
URاردو
بزilisہ
ba-zee-li-sah
VITiếng Việt
nữ hoàng rắn
nu-co-hoang ran
YOYO
básílíssà
bah-see-li-sah
ZUZU
ibazili
ee-bah-zee-lee
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Greek basilissa (empress/queen) carries the same gendered institutional hierarchy as basilinna—the feminine suffix -issa marks rank as dependent on male authority or familial position rather than personal sovereignty.
Inclusive Usage
Use only in historical contexts with acknowledgment of gendered power structures. For contemporary roles, use 'empress', 'reigning monarch', or specify independent authority.
Inclusive Alternatives
["empress","sovereign","reigning monarch","ruler"]
Empowerment Note
Many basilissai wielded formidable political power (e.g., Byzantine empresses as regents and co-rulers), yet the feminine grammatical form subordinated their titles to the male norm of basileus.