A nobleman or high-ranking person in the feudal hierarchy of medieval Europe, usually ruling over a duchy (a specific territory).
From Latin 'dux' meaning 'leader' or 'guide,' related to 'ducere' (to lead). The word traveled through Old French 'duc' into English during the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The word 'duc' reveals something wild about power: 'dux' literally means 'the one who leads,' showing that medieval titles were supposed to describe actual jobs—though by Shakespeare's time, many dukes didn't lead anything.
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