heretoga

Learned borrowing from Old English heretoga (“army leader, commander, general”). Doublet of heretog and herzog.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌheɹəˈtəʊɡə/

heretoga (plural heretogas)

1. (historical) An Anglo-Saxon army leader or commander; a general; a duke.
   • 1890, James Kendall Hosmer, A Short History of Anglo-Saxon Freedom:

     Like the old heretogas, they possessed no authority but such as was accorded them by their fellow-tribesmen, though when once constituted they had a power co-ordinate with that of the folk-moot.

From Proto-West Germanic *harjatogō. Equivalent to here (“army”) +‎ *toga (“leader”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈxe.reˌto.ɡɑ/, [ˈhe.reˌto.ɣɑ]

heretoga m

1. general
   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

     Wǣron ðā ǣrest heora lāttēowas ⁊ heretogan twegen ġebrōðra Henġest ⁊ Horsa'.'

     The first of their leaders and generals were two brothers, Hengist and Horsa.

2. duke
3. leader of a people
   • Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

     Þā æt nēxtan forlēt Pharao Israhela folc of his earde siðian mid miċċlum ǣhtum, and God ġesette ðone foresǣdan Moysen his folce tō heretogan, and his broðer Aaron tō sacerde; and hī lǣddon þæt folce tō ðǣre Rēadan sǣ mid miċelre fyrdinge, þæt wǣron six hund þūsenda wīgendra manna, buton wīfum and ċildum.

     Then at last Pharaoh allowed the people of Israel to leave his land with much livestock, and God appointed the aforementioned Moses as the leader of his people, and his brother Aaron as priest; and they led the people to the Red Sea with a great host, which numbered six hundred thousand warriors, not counting women and children.

Weak:

• Middle English: heretowa, heretoȝe, heretogh, heretoȝæ, heretoche
  • → English: heretog
• → English: heretoga