atheling | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

13 entries found.

"member of a noble family," Old English æðling, from æðel "noble family, race, ancestry; nobility, honor," related to Old English æðele "noble," from Proto-Germanic *athala- (cognates: Old Frisian edila "(great-)grandfather," Old Saxon athali "noble descent, property," Old High German adal "noble family"), which is perhaps from PIE *at-al- "race, family," from *at(i)- "over, beyond, super" + *al- "to nourish." With suffix -ing "belonging to." A common Germanic word (cognates: Old Saxon ediling, Old Frisian etheling, Old High German adaling).

Athelstan

masc. proper name, Old English Æðelstane, literally "noble stone;" see atheling + stone (n.).

Ethel

fem. proper name, originally a shortening of Old English Etheldred, Ethelinda, etc., in which the first elements mean "noble, nobility," from Proto-Germanic *athala- (see atheling).

Adeline

fem. proper name, from French, of Germanic origin, literally "noblewoman," from adal "noble family" (see atheling) + French fem. suffix -ine (see -ine (1)).

edelweiss (n.)

1862, from German Edelweiß, literally "noble white," from Old High German edili "noble" (see atheling) + German weiss "white" (see white).

Ethelred

Anglo-Saxon masc. given name, Old English Æðelræd, literally "noble counsel," from æðele "noble" (see atheling) + ræd, red "advice" (see rede).

Ethelbert

Anglo-Saxon masc. proper name, Old English Æðelbryht, literally "nobility-bright;" from æðele "noble" (see atheling) + bryht "bright; splendid; beautiful; divine" (from PIE root *bhereg- "to shine; bright, white").

Adolph

also Adolf, masc. proper name, from Old High German Athalwolf "noble wolf," from athal "noble" (see atheling) + wolf (see wolf (n.)). The -ph is from the Latinized form of the name, Adolphus.

Alphonso

masc. proper name, from Spanish Alfonso, from a Germanic source (compare Old High German Adalfuns, from adal "noble;" see atheling + funs "ready"). The Alphonsine tables (1670s) are named for Alphonso the Wise, 13c. king of Castile, who had them compiled.

Adelaide

fem. proper name, from French Adélaide, from a Germanic source similar to Old High German Adalhaid, from adal "noble family" (see atheling) + German heit "state, rank," which is related to Old English -had "person, degree, state, nature" (see -hood). The first element affixed to French fem. ending -ine gave Adeline.

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