An archaic spelling of 'count,' referring to a European nobleman of high rank, or an archaic verb meaning to count or recount.
From Old French 'comte', from Latin 'comitem' (companion, attendant), originally a title for the emperor's companions. The 'compt' spelling preserves the original pronunciation of the silent 'c' that evolved in Modern English.
The spelling 'compt' reveals the pronunciation shift in English—medieval scribes wrote 'compt' but as the 'c' stopped being pronounced, the simpler spelling 'count' won out, yet 'compt' persists in 'account' and 'recount,' where we still see that ghost letter.
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