Editing Viscount (section)

==Equivalent titles==

===Western counterparts===
There are non-etymological equivalents to the title of viscount (''i.e.'', 'vice-count') in several languages, including German.

However, in such case titles of the etymological [[Burgrave]] family (not in countries with a viscount-form, such as Italian {{lang|it|burgravio}} alongside {{lang|it|visconte}}) bearers of the title could establish themselves at the same gap, thus at generally the same level. Consequently, a {{lang|de|Freiherr}} (or Baron) ranks not immediately below a {{lang|de|Graf}}, but below a {{lang|de|Burggraf}}.

Thus in [[Dutch language|Dutch]], {{lang|nl|Burggraaf}} is the rank above Baron, below {{lang|nl|Graaf}} (''i.e.'', Count) in the kingdoms of the Netherlands and of Belgium (by Belgian law, its equivalents in the other official languages are {{lang|de|Burggraf}} in [[German language|German]] and {{lang|fr|vicomte}} in [[French language|French]]).

===Non-Western counterparts===
Like other major Western noble titles, viscount is sometimes used to render certain titles in non-western languages with their own traditions. Even though they are considered 'equivalent' in relative rank, they are as a rule historically unrelated and thus hard to compare.

The Japanese cognate {{transliteration|ja|shishaku}} ({{transliteration|ja|shi}}) ({{langx|ja|子爵}}) was the fourth of the five peerage ranks established in the [[Meiji period]] (1868–1911). The Japanese system of nobility, {{transliteration|ja|[[kazoku]]}}, which existed between 1884 and 1947, was based heavily on the British peerage. At the creation of the system, viscounts were the most numerous of all the ranks, with 324 being created compared to 11 non-imperial princes or dukes, 24 marquesses, 76 counts and 74 barons, for a total of 509 peers.<ref>Jansen, ''The Making of Modern Japan'', p. 391.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Other equivalent titles existed, such as:
* the Chinese {{transliteration|zh|tzu-chueh}} ({{transliteration|zh|tzu}}) or {{transliteration|zh|zijue}} ({{transliteration|zh|zi}}) ({{zh|c=子爵}}), hereditary title of nobility first established in the [[Zhou dynasty]]
* the Korean cognate {{transliteration|ko|jajak}} or {{transliteration|ko|pansŏ}}
* the Vietnamese cognate {{lang|vi|tử}}
* the Manchu {{transliteration|mnc|jingkini hafan}}