Merovingian

[ mer-uh-vin-jee-uh n, -juh n ]

/ ˌmɛr əˈvɪn dʒi ən, -dʒən /

adjective

of or relating to the Frankish dynasty established by Clovis, which reigned in Gaul and Germany from a.d. 476 to 751.

noun

a member or supporter of the Merovingian dynasty.

Origin of Merovingian

1685–95; < French mérovingien, equivalent to méroving- (< Medieval Latin < Germanic; compare Old English Merewīowing offspring of Merewig, grandfather of Clovis) + -ien -ian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for merovingian

The wealth of the Merovingian princes consisted in their extensive domain.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon
The most ancient examples were written on papyrus, vellum Merovingian chancery.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5|Various
Each may be said to have passed through a Merovingian stage, and to have rebuilt itself larger and finer in Carolingian times.
How France Built Her Cathedrals|Elizabeth Boyle O'Reilly
One is a version of a Latin compilation of Merovingian history; the other of the famous chronicle of Turpin.
A Short History of French Literature|George Saintsbury

These changes characterize the Merovingian age of Frankish history.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for merovingian

Merovingian

/ (ˌmɛrəʊˈvɪndʒɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to a Frankish dynasty founded by Clovis I, which ruled Gaul and W Germany from about 500 to 751 ad

noun

a member or supporter of this dynasty

Word Origin for Merovingian

C17: from French, from Medieval Latin Merovingi offspring of Merovaeus, Latin form of Merowig, traditional founder of the line

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for merovingian

Merovingian

adj.

1690s, from French Mérovingien, from Medieval Latin Merovingi, "descendants of Meroveus," (mythical?) ancestor of the line of Frankish kings in Gaul (c.500-752) beginning with Clovis; Merovingi is a Latinization of his Germanic name (cf. Old High German Mar-wig "famed-fight") with the Germanic patronymic suffix -ing.