athel

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English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈæθəl/, /ˈeɪθəl/

Etymology 1

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From Middle English athel, ethel, hathel (noble; nobleman, hero), from Old English æþele (noble), from Proto-West Germanic *aþal, from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz, *aþaljaz, *aþiluz (noble, of noble birth), from Proto-Indo-European *átta (father).

Akin to Saterland Frisian eedel, West Frisian eal, Dutch edel, German edel. Middle English form hathel due to conflation with Old English hæleþ (hero). See heleth.

Noun

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athel (plural athels)

  1. (obsolete) A chief or lord.
    • 1508, Golagros and Gawane:
      To tell of his deir weid war doutles delite,
      And alse ter for to tell the travalis war tight.
      His name and his nobillay wes noght for to nyte;
      Thair wes na hathill sa heich, be half ane fute hicht.
    • c. 1515, The Scottish Field:
      Proclamation in that place,
      was plainely declared,
      That every hatell should him hie,
      in hast that he might,
      To Bolton in Geldowre,
      all in godly haste.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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From Arabic أَثَل (ʔaṯal).

Noun

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athel (plural athels)

  1. A kind of tamarisk native to northern Africa and the Middle East, Tamarix aphylla, planted widely elsewhere as a shade tree and a windbreak due to its tolerance of heat and of alkaline soils, but tending to become invasive outside of its native range.

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old English æþele, æðele, eþele, from Proto-West Germanic *aþuli, from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz. Cognate with Old High German adal (German edel), Old Norse aðall.

Adjective

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athel

  1. noble, highborn
  2. excellent, splendid, fine
  3. genuine, sincere, devout

Descendants

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  • English: athel

Further reading

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