fons honorum

== English == === Etymology === Latin: fōns (“fount, source”) + honōrum (“of honours”; the genitive plural form of honor (“honour”)) = “source of honours” ≈ “fount of honour” === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, UK) enPR: fŏnz hŏnôʹrəm, IPA(key): /ˌfɒnz hɒˈnɔːɹəm/ === Noun === fons honorum (plural fontes honorum) A person who, by virtue of sovereignty, holds the exclusive right to create and confer legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry. 2002 February 11th, Francois R. Velde, alt.talk.royalty, “Re: Fons honorum germanorum”, (see the original message) It doesn’t seem that the smaller or lower-ranking states behaved as fontes honorum before 1806. For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fons honorum. ==== Synonyms ==== fount of honour === Further reading === Fount of honour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia