suzerain
/ˈs(j)uz(ə)ɹən/ noun
Forms suzerains
- noun (international politics) A dominant nation or state that has control over the international affairs of a subservient state which otherwise has domestic autonomy.
- noun (historical) A feudal landowner to whom vassals were forced to pledge allegiance.
Etymology
From French suzerain, based on sus (“up, above”) (from Latin sursum) with the ending of souverain (whence also English sovereign).
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [F., formed fr. sus above, L. susum, sursum (fr. sub under + versum, p.p. of vertere to turn), after the analogy of souverain, E. sovereign. See Sub-, and Verse.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “suzerain”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details