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ADMIRAL

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 195 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ADMIRAL , the See also:

title of the See also:general officer who commands a See also:fleet, or subdivision of a fleet. The origin of the word is undoubtedly Arabic. In the 12th See also:century the Mediterranean states which had See also:close relations with the Moslem See also:powers on the shores or in the islands of that See also:sea, found the title See also:amir or emir in See also:combination with other words used to describe men in authority; the amir-al-mumenin—prince of the faithful—or amiral-bahr—commander of the sea. They took the substantive " amir " and the See also:article " al " to See also:form one word, "amiral " or " ammiral " or " almirante." The Spaniards made miramamolin, out of amiral-mumenin, in the same way. Amiral," as the name of an eastern ruler, became See also:familiar to the See also:northern nations during the See also:crusades. See also:Layamon, See also:writing in the See also:early years of the 13th century, speaks of the " ammiral of Babilon," and the word was for See also:long employed in this sense. As a See also:naval title it was first taken by the See also:French from the Genoese during the crusade of 1249. By the end of the 13th century it had come to be used in See also:England as the name of the officer who commanded the Cinque See also:Port See also:ships. The See also:English form " admiral " arose from popular confusion with the Latin admirabilis. Such errors were naturally produced by the fantastic See also:etymology of the See also:middle ages. In See also:Spain, See also:Alphonso the See also:Wise of See also:Castile, in his See also:code of See also:laws, the Siete Partidas (Seven Divisions), accounts for the See also:Spanish form "almirante " by its supposed derivation from the Latin admirari, since the admiral is " to be admired " for the difficulties and dangers he overcomes, and because he is the See also:chief of those who see the wonders of the See also:Lord in the deepmirabilia ejus (sc. Domini) in prof undo.

Both in Spanish and in Elizabethan English the word has been applied to the See also:

flagship of an officer commanding a fleet or See also:part of one. The Spanish almiranta is the See also:ship of the second in command, and the capitana of the first. In this sense it is not uncommonly found in the narratives of Elizabethan voyages or See also:campaigns, and it is so used by See also:Milton in See also:Paradise Lost—" the See also:mast of some tall ammiral." As the title of an See also:office it was See also:borne by the See also:great military, judicial and administrative officer known in See also:France as See also:grand amiral; in England as lord high admiral; in Spain as almirante See also:mayor. His functions, which were wide, have been generally absorbed by the See also:crown, or the See also:state, and have been divided among judicial and administrative officials (see See also:NAVY, See also:History; See also:ADMIRALTY See also:ADMINISTRATION; and ADMIRALTY See also:JURISDICTION). The title of admiral is still borne as an hereditary See also:honour by the descendants of See also:Columbus, the See also:dukes of Veraqua, in Spain. It is a purely honorific distinction representing the admiralship of the islands and Ocean Sea, conferred on the discoverer by the See also:Catholic sovereigns, See also:Ferdinand and See also:Isabella. In the See also:staff of a See also:modern navy the admirals correspond to the general See also:officers in the See also:army. Where, as in See also:Russia, the grand admiralship is annexed to the crown, the highest See also:rank is that of See also:lieutenant admiral general. In Great See also:Britain there is the rank of admiral of the fleet, corresponding to See also:field-See also:marshal. It is, however, little more than an honorary distinction. The three active ranks are those of admiral, See also:vice-admiral and See also:rear-admiral, corresponding to general, lieutenant-general and See also:major-general in the army. They are found in all navies under very slightly varied forms.

The only difference which is not one of See also:

mere spelling is in the See also:equivalent for rear-admiral, which is contre amiral in French, and in other navies of the See also:continent of See also:Europe involves some slight variation of the word " contre " (first used at the See also:time of the French Revolution). The vice- and rear-admiral of Great Britain are again honorary titles, without the active functions, conferred in compliment on See also:senior naval officers. " Admiral " is also the name given to the chief of See also:fishery fleets. On the See also:banks of See also:Newfoundland it was given to officials who had powers conferred by the state. In the See also:case of an See also:ordinary fishing-fleet in See also:European See also:waters, it is of private origin, and is of merely customary use.

End of Article: ADMIRAL

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