Thegn
/θeɪn/noun
An Old English nobleman or retainer ranking below an earl and above a common freeman.
Did you know?Thegn comes from a Germanic word for a servant or retainer, but in Anglo-Saxon England it evolved into a prestigious title of military and social rank.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þegnaz
“servant, retainer”
Old English
OE
þegn
“servant, follower, retainer; later a noble retainer or man of rank”
Old Norse
ON
þegn
“servant, man, retainer”
Middle English
ME
theyn / thane
“nobleman, lord's retainer”
Modern English
English
thegn
“historical term for an Anglo-Saxon nobleman or retainer”