King is a royal title given to a malemonarch.[1] In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies (either absolute or constitutional).[2][3] A king is anabsolute monarch if he holds unrestrictedgovernmental power or exercises full sovereignty over anation. The title ofking is used alongside other titles for monarchs: in the West,emperor,grand prince,prince,archduke,duke orgrand duke, and in the Islamic world,malik,sultan,emir orhakim, among others.[4]
The termking may also refer to aking consort, a title that is sometimes given to the husband of aqueen regnant, but the title ofprince consort is more common.
The word king traces back to late Old Englishcyning, meaning "ruler" or "leader," derived from Proto-Germanickuningaz. This root also gave rise to similar terms across other Germanic languages, such as Dutchkoning, Old Norsekonungr, Danishkonge, and GermanKönig. The precise origin of "kuningaz" remains uncertain, but it may be linked to Old English cynn ("family, race"), suggesting that a king was originally viewed as the "leader of the kin" or "head of the people." Another theory proposes that the term referred to one "of noble descent," connecting kingship with divine or aristocratic lineage. Linguists and historians have long debated the social and ideological meanings behind this relationship between king and kin, though the linguistic connection is widely accepted.[5]
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