ᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ

Proto-Norse

Alternative forms

• ᛁᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (irilaʀ)

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *erlaz.

Noun

ᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (erilaʀ) m

1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
   1. earl, jarl, nobleman
   2. magician
   3. runemaster
   4. member of the Heruli tribe
   • 5th century, Järsberg Runestone:

     ᛖᚲᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉᚱᚢᚾᛟᛉᚹᚨᚱᛁᛏᚢ

     ekerilaʀrunoʀwaritu

     /ek erilaʀ rūnōʀ wᵃrītu/

     I, the erilaz, write runes

Usage notes

• In the Proto-Norse corpus this word usually appears in connection with Rune-carving.

Descendants

• Old Norse: jarl, ᛁᛅᚱᛚ (iarl) — Old East Norse
  • Icelandic: jarl
  • Faroese: jallur
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: jarl
  • Old Swedish: iarl, iærl
    • Swedish: järl
  • Old Danish: ierl
  • → Danish: jarl (reborrowed)
    • Norwegian Bokmål: jarl
  • → English: jarl
  • → Finnish: jaarli
  • → Swedish: jarl (reborrowed)