thane English · revision 1176

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /θeɪn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''thein'', ''theyn'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from Old English ''þegn'' “military follower, retainer”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|gem-pro|*þegnaz]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) related to [[non|þegn|t=freeman, thane]] and German ''Degen'' “warrior, hero”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) It may be related to Greek ''téknon'' “child”,^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) though Beekes finds the link phonetically difficult.^(Etymonline) The spelling ''thane'' is Scottish;^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) the regular development of Old English ''þegn'' would have been ''thain''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Old English, a servant or attendant, often used of Christ's disciples (before 700), and a military follower (before 800).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Anglo-Saxon England a thane held land from the king or another lord in return for military service (805).^(OED 1989)^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) The sense of a man ranking between an earl and an ordinary freeman is from the late 15th century.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) In Scotland from 1220 a thane was a landholder ranking with an earl's son, or a clan chief who became one of the king's barons,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) and the Scottish spelling probably prevailed through Shakespeare's ''Macbeth''.^(Etymonline) Some historians now write ''thegn'' for the Anglo-Saxon rank.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 700 – a servant or disciple.^(OED 1989)

+ * about 725 – a military follower, in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 805 – a landholder by military service.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1220 – a Scottish thane.^(OED 1989)

+ * about 1470 – a man ranking between earl and freeman.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # In Anglo-Saxon England, a freeman granted land by the king in return for military service.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In Anglo-Saxon England, a man ranking above an ordinary [[freeman]] and below an [[earl]].^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In Scotland, a [[feudal]] lord or [[baron]], often the chief of a clan.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[thaneship]]

+ * [[thanage]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[thegn]]

+ * [[earl]]

+ * [[churl]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}