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alderman

Etymology and origin of the English word alderman

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɔːldəmən/, /ˈɒl-/ (UK); /ˈɔldəɹmən/, /ˈɑldəɹmən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English alderman, inherited from Old English ealdormann (Mercian aldormonn),[2][3][4][5][6] from Old English ealdor (“elder, chief, patriarch”) + mann (“man”),[2][3][4][5][6] with ealdor from eald “old”.[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Old English, a man of high rank, especially one governing a shire or district under the king (750).[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The title presumably first referred to elders of the clan, but in Old English it was already used of the king's viceroys regardless of age, and later of the chief magistrate of a county, with civil and military duties.[4][5] Under Canute it gave way to eorl (see earl), and after the Norman Conquest to count.[4] Having lost its specific sense, it was applied to the headman or warden of a guild (1130),[7][4][6] and, as the guilds became identified with town government, to a city or borough magistrate (c. 1200).[7][4][6] In England and Ireland aldermen formed the senior branch of borough and county councils until 1974,[2][5][8] and in North America the word names an elected member of a city council.[2][5][8]

Timeline

  • 750 – Old English title of a ruler under the king.[7]
  • before 810 – Mercian aldormonn.[3]
  • 1130 – the headman of a guild.[7]
  • c. 1200 – a city or borough magistrate.[7]
  • 18th century – aldermanic.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A member of the municipal legislative body of a town or city.
  2. In England and Ireland, a senior member of a borough or county council, chosen by the elected councillors (in England until 1974).
  3. (historical) In Anglo-Saxon England, a noble of high rank, especially the chief officer of a shire.

Word family

  • aldermancy
  • aldermanic
  • aldermanry
  • alderperson
  • elder
  • old
  • earl
  • man

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Alderman.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/alderman. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on .