Ancient nobility

Ancient nobility - is the term used for noble families that have no original patents of nobility which differ those families from those that received nobility from Monarch or Emperor. In Poland and Lithuania the rule of thumb for what constitutes ancient nobility is set to time no later than 1450.

Szlachta odwieczna to szlachta, która nie potrzebowała żadnych dokumentów do tego by udowodnić swe szlachectwo, swymi korzeniami zaś sięgała czasów średniowiecza.