þegn

See also: thegn

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse þegn, from Proto-Germanic *þegnaz. Cognate with English thane, German Degen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θɛkn/
• Rhymes: -ɛkn

Noun

þegn m (genitive singular þegns, nominative plural þegnar)

1. servant, subject
2. thane

Declension

declension of þegn

m-s1	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	þegn	þegninn	þegnar	þegnarnir
accusative	þegn	þegninn	þegna	þegnana
dative	þegni	þegninum	þegnum	þegnunum
genitive	þegns	þegnsins	þegna	þegnanna

Middle English

Noun

þegn

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of theyn

Old English

Alternative forms

• þægn

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *þegn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θejn/

Noun

þeġn m

1. servant
2. (poetic) man, warrior, hero
3. officer
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Sebastian, Martyr"

     Þa wurdon hi ealle þurh þæt wundor ablicgede and þæs þægnes gebedda ðe þa gebroþra heold wæs for six gearum for swiðlicre untrumnysse...

     Then they were all astonished at that miracle; and the wife of the officer, who had charge of the brothers, for six years, through a severe sickness...

Declension

Declension of þegn (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	þeġn	þeġnas
accusative	þeġn	þeġnas
genitive	þeġnes	þeġna
dative	þeġne	þeġnum

Derived terms

• þeġnung
• maguþeġn
• meteþeġn

Descendants

• Middle English: theyn, dain, thain, thayn, thein, þen, þein, þeyn; ðæin, þægen, þægn, þegen, þegn, þeȝn, þeign
  • English: thane
  • Scots: thane
  • → Irish: taen

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þegnaz.

Noun

þegn m

1. thane, franklin, freeman, man
2. a good (liberal) man
3. liegeman, subject

Declension

  Declension of þegn (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	þegn	þegninn	þegnar	þegnarnir
accusative	þegn	þegninn	þegna	þegnana
dative	þegni	þegninum	þegnum	þegnunum
genitive	þegns	þegnsins	þegna	þegnanna

Derived terms

• þegngildi n
• þegnskapr m
• þegnskylda f

Descendants

• Icelandic: þegn
• Old Swedish: þæghn, þiæghn
  • Swedish: tegn, tägn

References

• þegn in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, G. T. Zoëga, Clarendon Press, 1910, at Internet Archive.