healsfang

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old English healsfang (“fine prescribed in substitution for capital and other punishments”, literally “neck-taking", or "taking by the neck”), equivalent to halse +‎ fang. Cognate with Icelandic hálsfang (“embracing”).

Noun

healsfang (plural healsfangs or healsfang)

  1. (historical) In Anglo-Saxon law, a fine or mulct of uncertain character.

Old English

Etymology

From heals (“neck”) +‎ fang (“seizure”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈxæ͜ɑlsˌfɑnɡ/, [ˈhæ͜ɑɫsˌfɑŋɡ]

Noun

healsfang n

  1. a fine prescribed in substitution for capital and other punishments, preferential share of the wergeld

Declension

Strong a-stem:

singular plural
nominative healsfang healsfang
accusative healsfang healsfang
genitive healsfanges healsfanga
dative healsfange healsfangum
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