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Glite Dictionary
castellan

castellan

1 9.9
A person who is in charge of a castle in medieval times
  • noun
  • /ˈkæstələn/
  • Archaic
: castellano
  • The castellan welcomed the guests to the castle with a warm smile.

Examples

  • He claimed that as Castellan he would have known if Byeli Zamak held such a magical egg, and it did not.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The Master-at-arms gave her a grin that was all beard and teeth, saying, "Now lead us to the Castellan."

    Fiction book (2001)

  • "You do know where the Castellan is?"

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Stop your lying, and lead us to the Castellan.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • "Has she seen the Castellan?" His dwarf shrugged.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • As Castellan, I would know if Byeli Zamak held such an egg.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • "He was Castellan of Byeli Zamak, and claims to be a baron."

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The jarl who ruled the land (perhaps the local castellan of a port) agreed to sell food and supplies to the Norse throughout the winter.

    Academic text (1996)

  • She did not believe Prince Sergey would risk the Iron Wood just to put an end to some foreign-born Castellan of Byeli Zamak.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • In medieval times, the role of a castellan was crucial for maintaining order within the stronghold.

Synonyms

disdar
vscastellan
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who guards a castle or fortress in older times

is a general medieval European castle officer rather than Ottoman specific
burgrave
vscastellan
  • Archaic
9.9

A noble who governs a castle or town in Germany in the Middle Ages

focuses only on responsibility for the castle itself, not broader territory

How Senior

governor
∞ 3.0
lord
616 4.8
castellan
  • Archaic
1 9.9
steward
31 4.6
caretaker
84 1.9

Surface Forms

castellan singular
castellans plural

Morphology

castellan = castle (semi-transparent) = castle + an

The connection to 'castle' is clear, but the suffix '-an' only indicates association and does not by itself specify the leadership role, which is somewhat specialized.

Etymology

The word castellan comes from the Latin castellum, meaning 'castle', plus an ending that meant 'keeper'. So a castellan is like a 'castle-keeper', the person in charge of the castle, especially in medieval times.