Where does “æþel” come from?

æþel (Old English) comes from Old English æþele, from Proto-Germanic aþalaz, from Proto-Germanic aþalą, from Proto-Indo-European at-al, from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- — to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam.

æþel (Old English): homeland, ancestral territory; noble, a person of...

Definitions

  1. homeland, ancestral territory; noble, a person of...

Ancestry of “æþel”, step by step

æþel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English æþele

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishæþelenoble
2Proto-Germanicaþalaznoble
3Proto-Germanicaþaląnature, disposition; nobility, race
4Proto-Indo-Europeanat-alfamily, race
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂el-to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam

via Proto-West Germanic ōþil

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicōþilhomeland; patrimony; name of the O-rune
2Proto-Germanicōþaląancestral land, the land owned by one's kin;...

Words derived from “æþel”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European at-al →Every word from Proto-Germanic aþalą →
æþel — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer