Dauphin

dau'fin, a title given the eldest son of the French king. It was originally the title of the lord of the province of Dauphine. The last of these, dying without heir, bequeathed his territory to the French crown on condition that the king's first born son should be the Dauphin, or lord of Dauphine. The Dauphin's wife is known in history as the Dauphiness. In case the king had no son, the title was not given to his heir. The term is thought to be derived from the dolphin, worn as a symbol by the house of Dauphine. France, being a republic, the title is now extinct. The Dauphin of France corresponds to the Prince of Wales in England, and to the Crown Prince of Germany.