Etheling
/ˈɛθəlɪŋ/noun
A member of an Anglo-Saxon royal family, especially a prince eligible to become king.
Did you know?In Anglo-Saxon England, an etheling was not merely any nobleman: the title often identified a royal male with a legitimate claim to succeed the king.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*aþalą
“Nobility, ancestral status, or inherited rank”
Old English
Old English
æþele
“Noble, distinguished, of high birth”
Old English
Old English
æþeling
“A person of noble birth; especially a prince or member of the royal dynasty”
9th–11th Century
Old English
æðeling
“A royal heir or prince eligible for kingship”
Middle English
Middle English
athellyng
“A nobleman or royal prince”
Modern English
English
etheling
“An Anglo-Saxon prince, especially one eligible to become king”