æþele

Old English

Alternative forms

• eþele, æðele
• ᚫᚦᚦᛁᛚᚫ (æþþilæ) — Ruthwell Cross

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aþuli, from Proto-Germanic *aþulijaz. Cognate with Old High German adal (German edel), Old Norse aðall.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ.θe.le/, [ˈæ.ðe.le]

Adjective

æþele (superlative æþelest or æþelust or æþelast)

1. noble
   • c. 800, Ruthwell Cross:

     ᛣᚱᛁᛋᛏᚹᚫᛋᚩᚾᚱᚩᛞᛁᚻᚹᛖᚦᚱᚫᚦᛖᚱᚠᚢᛋᚫᚠᛠᚱᚱᚪᚾᛣᚹᚩᛗᚢᚫᚦᚦᛁᛚᚫᛏᛁᛚᚪᚾᚢᛗ

     Krist wæs on rōdi, hweþræ þēr fūsæ fearran kwōmu æþþilæ til ānum.

     Christ was on the cross, yet there in haste from afar came noble men unto him.

   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

     Đyssum tidum Ongolcyningas þā æðelestan Ōswēo Norðanhymbra cyning ⁊ Eċġberht Contwarena cyning hæfdon betwēoh him sprǣċe ⁊ ġeþēahte, hwæt tō donne wǣre bī þǣm stealle Ongolcynnes ċiriċan .

     At this time the most noble English kings, Oswiu of Northumbria and Ecgberht of Kent, held a discussion and conference between them about what was to be done about the state of the English church.

Declension

Declension of æþele — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	æþele	æþelu, æþelo	æþele
Accusative	æþelne	æþele	æþele
Genitive	æþeles	æþelre	æþeles
Dative	æþelum	æþelre	æþelum
Instrumental	æþele	æþelre	æþele
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	æþele	æþela, æþele	æþelu, æþelo
Accusative	æþele	æþela, æþele	æþelu, æþelo
Genitive	æþelra	æþelra	æþelra
Dative	æþelum	æþelum	æþelum
Instrumental	æþelum	æþelum	æþelum

Declension of æþele — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	æþela	æþele	æþele
Accusative	æþelan	æþelan	æþele
Genitive	æþelan	æþelan	æþelan
Dative	æþelan	æþelan	æþelan
Instrumental	æþelan	æþelan	æþelan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	æþelan	æþelan	æþelan
Accusative	æþelan	æþelan	æþelan
Genitive	æþelra, æþelena	æþelra, æþelena	æþelra, æþelena
Dative	æþelum	æþelum	æþelum
Instrumental	æþelum	æþelum	æþelum

Derived terms

• æþelu
• æþelian
• æþeling
• æþellīċ
• æþelnes
• æþelcund
• æþelboren
• æþelcyning

Derived names

• Æþelbeorht
• Æþelfriþ
• Æþelgār
• Æþelheard
• Æþelhere
• Æþelmær
• Æþelmōd
• Æþelmund
• Æþelnōþ
• Æþelrǣd
• Æþelred
• Æþelrīċ
• Æþelsiġe
• Æþelstān
• Æþelwacer
• Æþelweald
• Æþelweard
• Æþelwiġ
• Æþelwine
• Æþelwulf

 

Descendants

• Middle English: athel
  • English: athel, Ethel