æþeling

See also: ætheling

Old English

Alternative forms

• æðeling — edh spelling
• eþeling — Mercian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aþuling, from Proto-Germanic *aþulingaz (“prince, nobleman”). Equivalent to æþele +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ.θe.linɡ/, [ˈæ.ðe.liŋɡ]

Noun

æþeling m

1. prince
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Life of St. Edmund"

     Hinguar þā becōm tō Ēastenglum rōwende on þām ġēare þe Ælfred æðeling ān and twēntiġ ġēare wæs, sē þe Westseaxena cyning siþþan wearþ mǣre.

     Ivar the Boneless and his ships came to Essex the year that Prince Alfred, who would later become the great king of Wessex, turned twenty-one.

2. (poetic) person

Declension

Declension of æþeling (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	æþeling	æþelingas
accusative	æþeling	æþelingas
genitive	æþelinges	æþelinga
dative	æþelinge	æþelingum

Derived terms

• Æþelinga īeġ (“Athelney”)

Descendants

• Middle English: atheling
  • English: atheling
• →? Middle Welsh: edling, edlyg, etling (or from Middle English)
  • Welsh: edling, edlin
    • → English: edling