Athel
/ˈæθəl/noun
An archaic or dialectal adjective meaning noble, excellent, or of high birth.
Did you know?Athel survives inside royal Anglo-Saxon names such as Æthelred and Æthelstan, meaning “noble counsel” and “noble stone.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aþalą
“Noble ancestry, lineage, or inherited rank”
Old English
OE
æþel
“Noble, excellent, of distinguished birth”
Old English
OE
Æthel-
“A name-forming element meaning “noble,” used in royal and aristocratic names”
Middle English
ME
athel
“Noble or high-born”
Modern English
English
athel
“An archaic or dialectal word meaning noble or excellent”