Difference between revisions of "Baron"

A '''baron''' (feminine: '''baroness''') is a rank in Westarctican [[Peerage of Westarctica|peerage]] directly above that of [[baronet]] and directly below the rank of [[viscount]].  Virtually all [[Westarctica]]n baronies correspond to a [[Index of geographic features in Westarctica|geographic feature]] of the country, and are named accordingly.  A baron is addressed as "your lordship" and a baroness as "your ladyship" in formal correspondence.  

In the [[Colony of Calsahara]], baron is the fourth-lowest rank in the [[Nobility of Calsahara]].

The word baron comes from a Late Latin ''barō'' meaning "man, servant, soldier, mercenary." The scholar Isidore of Seville in the 7th century thought the word was from Greek βᾰρῠ́ς "heavy" (because of the "heavy work" done by mercenaries), but the word is presumably of Old Frankish origin, cognate with Old English beorn meaning "warrior, nobleman." Cornutus in the first century already reports a word ''barones'' which he took to be of Gaulish origin.

The [[Achaean Royal Charter]] instituted the title of baron as a rank of nobility in the [[Baronage]] in 2002. Article 36 stated:

The first baron created in the [[Achaean Territory of Antarctica]] (the predecessor state to Westarctica) was the Baron of Ward, Miles Ward, who was raised to Viscount in 2004, and to Count on his 18th birthday. Miles Ward was one of the earliest supporters of the Achaean Territory, and has the distinction of being one of its first five citizens. He eventually drifted away from involvement with the nation, but in 2017, expressed interest in leading a public offering of cryptocurrency. However, because the [[Royal Blockchain Authority]] was in the process of developing [[WestarcticaCoin]], his offer was not accepted by [[Grand Duke Travis]].

In 2015, the title of baron became the most frequently granted rank of nobility in the [[Peerage of Westarctica]] and has been bestowed upon more than 75 individuals.