Why is it that in Britain we have in the aristocracy caste system?

Question

viscount, viscountess and countess but the husband of a countess is called earl and not count.Anyone know why?

Answer 1

I always understood it was because 'count' sounded too much like a certain very taboo swear word!  I don't know if there's any truth in that though!

Answer 2

Because Earless is what Vincent van Gogh aspired to be.

Answer 3

The system stems from about a thousand years ago, The modern equivalent would be the Cray's in 1960's London. The guy with the biggest and strongest gang grabbed everything for themselves. the Aristocracy then put laws in place to keep what they had stolen. Most Aristocracy look down on the Royal family because they see them as new kids in town. Check the facts most of the Aristocrats date their position in the country from 1066 and the Norman conquest, The Queen on the other hand is descended from the Elector of Hanover and the family has only been here for a couple of hundred years, They had to change their name at the time of the first world war so they would not appear German.

Answer 4

I don't know..........We don't really need one...

Answer 5

If you are in Britain and don't know, I can't help you.  

I'm in California!

Answer 6

In 1066, approximately 5,000 armored knights crossed the English channel and defeated the native English at the Battle of Hastings whereupon shortly thereafter they constructed castles to provide a strong hold against popular revolt, dominating both towns and countryside.  The remaining English lords who refused to acknowledge the over lordship of William of Normandy were stripped of their titles and land, and when an English lord died without issue, a successor was chosen from the Norman nobility.  Thus, a group of foreign lords quickly replaced the native aristocracy.  

Since most of these new lords felt more comfortable back home in Normandy, a bureaucracy for governing their properties in their absence quickly developed, building upon an already sophisticated administrative system of government at the local level in the shires.  For 300 years thereafter, these overlords also spoke French while those they had conquered spoke English.  By 1200, the Normans had already begun to intermarry with the English population; however, they had already established an aristocratic class, which would further solidify during the High Middle Ages.

Answer 7

Because in Britain we don't have counts we have Earls instead.