  the title of mormaer designates a regional or provincial ruler in the medieval kingdom of the scots. in theory, although not always in practice, a mormaer was second only to the king of scots, and the senior of a toisech. ==origin== the etymology is variously debated as "great steward" (incorporating gaelic and picto-latin), or "sea lord" (perhaps defenders against vikings). historians do not know if the institution was gaelic or pictish. it is notable mormaer occurs only in the post-pictish period, so it is difficult to sustain any argument for pictish origins. there is also debate whether mormaer was simply the east-coast equivalent of kinglet (gaelic: ruirÃ­ or rÃ­). for the earliest periods, there is uncertainty about the exact difference between a mormaer and a toisech (modern scottish gaelic  'chief'). the earliest scottish latin sources use thanus (thane) for toisech. this word was adopted from the anglo-saxon lands to the south. it is possible thanus, comes, mormaer and toisech all originally meant similar things, or at least were not part of a stratified hierarchy. ==earliest mormaers== the office of mormaer is first mentioned in the context of the battle of corbridge (918), in the annals of ulster. the first individual named mormaer was dubacan of angus, one of the companions of amlaib, the son of king causantÃ­n ii (constantine ii). his death at the battle of brunanburh (937) is recorded in the chronicle of the kings of alba. he is mentioned as mormaer of angus (gaelic:"mormair oengusa', or 'mormaer Ãengus). another three mormaers are named, though without provinces, in the annals of tigernach, s.a. 976. however, the earliest mormaers of each province are generally only hazily, if at all, known until the 12th century, by which time mormaer is being referred to in latin documents as comes. from the 12th century, eight 'old' mormaer dynasties are known to be hereditary, continuous and no longer fragmentary, and also additionally the dynasties of charraig. dunbarra, cataidh, and moireabh had yet older dynasties. pre-12th century dynasties: * mormaers of cataibh * mormaers of moireabh * 'mormaers' of lodainn/dunbarra 'traditional' mormaerdoms (established dynasty in the 12th century, but not proven earlier): * mormaers of marr * [http://genealogics.org/descen
Medieval_Scotland Noble_titles Scottish_Gaelic_language