æþele

Old English

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aþulī, 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.

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
• Æþelred
• Æþelwulf

Descendants

• Middle English: athel
  • English: athel, Ethel