Io (voievodal title particle)
Encyclopedia
Io is a particle of a title
used mainly by Romania
n royalty from both Moldavia
and Walachia, preceding their names and the complete list of titles, in all their documents (written or engraved), since the formation of the respective principalities up to the Hohenzollern dynasty in the 19th century.
First used by the Assenid kings, the particle is the abbreviation of name Ioan (English:John, Latin:Ioannes), which comes from the original Hebrew Yohanan, meaning "God has favoured". Thus, in this context, the particle has the meaning "By the grace of God" (see divine right
), rather than alluding to an actual name of John. It was always spelled with a Latin I and a Greek omega (in both Latin and Cyrillic documents). In some Latin accounts it was replaced by "Iohannes".
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
used mainly by Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n royalty from both Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
and Walachia, preceding their names and the complete list of titles, in all their documents (written or engraved), since the formation of the respective principalities up to the Hohenzollern dynasty in the 19th century.
First used by the Assenid kings, the particle is the abbreviation of name Ioan (English:John, Latin:Ioannes), which comes from the original Hebrew Yohanan, meaning "God has favoured". Thus, in this context, the particle has the meaning "By the grace of God" (see divine right
Divine Right of Kings
The divine right of kings or divine-right theory of kingship is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God...
), rather than alluding to an actual name of John. It was always spelled with a Latin I and a Greek omega (in both Latin and Cyrillic documents). In some Latin accounts it was replaced by "Iohannes".
See also
- Stefan (title)
- List of rulers of Wallachia
- List of rulers of Moldavia
- Kings of Romania