overking
noun/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌkɪŋ/
Etymology From Middle English oferrking, over-king. By surface analysis, over- + king.
1
A king who has sovereignty over inferior kings or ruling princes; a ruler of an overkingdom; a king that is truly superior or supreme; an emperor.
- the King of Connaught, who was recognized as overking of the island by the rest of the tribe[…]1874, John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People:
- "They have given me five-and-twenty overkings," protested John, and he at once turned to seek a way of evasion.1907, Katharine Coman, Elizabeth Kimball Kendall, A History of England, for High Schools and Academies, The Macmillan Company, page 122:
3 more examples
- The latter asked the aid of Cond the overking, who took up their cause, and a fierce war arose, in which Cond was beaten and compelled to divide Ireland with his rival.1908, Henry Smith Williams, Scotland, Ireland, England since 1792, Hooper & Jackson, →ISBN, page 335:
- Celtic law, however, explicitly specified that any member of a tribe, including overkings/overqueens of provinces and Druid high priests/priestesses, could be stripped of their legal rights if they failed to execute the legal obligations of their stations.1996, Jack George Thompson, Women in Celtic Law and Culture, Edwin Mellen Press, →ISBN, page 39:
- The difference between a dux bellorum and an overking is not clear, and it may be that the two concepts were elided into a single role.2000, Don Nardo, Rodney Castleden, King Arthur: The Truth Behind the Legend, Routledge, →ISBN, page 119: