principissa

principissa [ML] , female member of a royal family or household, noblewoman, princess; b (applied to a queen). c (transf. & fig., ~a civitatum) capital city, (w. ref. to) London as the princess of cities (cf. Thren. i 1. s1377 ubi tunc ~a cum juvene principe morabatur Chr. Angl. 124; s1385 interventu domine Johanne ~e, matris regis, pro tunc discordia est sopita Wals. YN 341; venerabimur ‥ tales et tantos principem et ~am, ymmo pre cunctis aliis personis temporalibus mundi Ps.-Elmh. Hen. V 91 p. 254; s1387 domina ~a regis mater Ad. Usk 5; sancte Brigitte, vidue ac quondam ~e Nericie in regno Suecie Gascoigne Loci 122; a pryncesse, ~a CathA.  b 1461 scaccarium serenissime ~e et domine, domine Marie regine Scocie ExchScot 47; 1543 ~e ac domine nostre, Marie ‥ Scotorum regine moderne Scot. Grey Friars II 42.  c s1267 rex ‥ audito quod civitatum Anglie ~a per infidos indigenas in dolo fuerat occupata Ann. Osney 200.