middangeard

Old English

Alternative forms

• middaneard, myddanġeard

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *midjagardaz, equivalent to midd (“mid, middle”) +‎ ġeard (“yard; enclosed land; realm”), although the second element's confusion or conflation with eard (“earth”) has occurred since Old English. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (“middle”) and *gʰórdʰos (“enclosure”). Cognate with Old Saxon middilgard, Old High German mittilgart and mittangart, Old Norse Miðgarðr, Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 (midjungards).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmid.dɑnˌjæ͜ɑrd/, [ˈmid.dɑnˌjæ͜ɑrˠd]

Noun

middanġeard m

1. the world
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     mōdġe maguþeġnas. · Swā þēs middanġeard
     ealra dōgra ġehwām · drēoseð ond fealleþ,

     brave warriors. Thus this world
     perishes and falls to each of all days,

Usage notes

• Typically used without the word for "the": Hē rīcsode ofer ealne middanġeard ("He ruled over all the world"). However, it is commonly used with the word for "this": Hū fela manna wuniaþ on þissum middanġearde? ("How many people live in this world?").

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	middanġeard	—
accusative	middanġeard	—
genitive	middanġeardes	—
dative	middanġearde	—

Synonyms

• weorold

Descendants

• Middle English: middenerd, middæneard, middeneard, middenerde, middenard
• Middle English: myddyl erthe, middel-erde (in part)
  • English: Middle Earth