magnaten.

Etymology: < post-classical Latin magnat-, magnas (late 4th cent. in Ammianus and the Vulgate) or magnatus (Vulgate) great man < classical Latin magnus great (see magni- comb. form). Post-classical Latin magnas was formed, and is usually found, in the plural magnates , on the model of Hellenistic Greek μεγιστᾶνες (Septuagint, etc.), which it often translates (for the formation compare classical Latin optimātēs : see optimacy n.). The Latin word is in frequent use in British sources from the 10th cent. in senses corresponding to 1, as is magnatus ; compare also e.g. Italian magnate (1348), Middle French magnat (mid 16th cent.), German Magnat (early 18th cent. or earlier), Dutch magnaat (mid 18th cent. or earlier). In sense 2 after post-classical Latin magnates in admininistrative use in Poland and Hungary; similarly in Italian (1577), French (1732), German (17th cent.), Dutch. Attested in application to industrialists in French in isolated use in late 18th cent., but in later use probably after English; also in this sense in Italian (from mid 19th cent.), German (20th cent.), Dutch.Early examples have been regarded as Latinate, but in quot. 1654 at sense 1a, the parallelism of Magnates and Magnetes indicates that the former was regarded as a disyllabic English plural noun (ending in -e + -s ) rather than a trisyllabic Latin one (stem ending in consonant + -es ); compare magnet n. Pronunciations with final /ət/ make the word for many speakers homophonous with magnet n.; occasional written use of magnet in sense 1, presumably through confusion with magnet n., is recorded in 20th cent. usage guides.