In the tenth and eleventh centuries these officials were often the youthful sons of the high nobility, for whom a period at court served as an education.
While earlier officials tended to move on to inherit lordships and leave court, in the late eleventh century individuals appear in the same office for longer periods of time and may have been appointed for life.
The cup-bearer (Latin pincerna, architriclinus, or propinator) was the official in charge of keeping the royal court fed.
There is no direct evidence in the charter record of rotation of this office, but several individuals appear to have been both butler and cup-bearer at different times.
The connection with weaponry is visible in the list of synonyms for this term, all of which contain the Latin root fer-, signifying iron: alferiz, fertorarius, inferartis, and offertor.