hlæfdige

From hlāf (“bread”) + a second element representing Proto-Germanic *daigijǭ (“kneader”) (compare dāg (“dough”), cf. dæge). See also hlāford.

• IPA^(key): /ˈxlæːfˌdiː.je/, [ˈl̥æːvˌdiː.je]

hlǣfdīġe f

1. a lady, the mistress of a household
2. noblewoman; queen
3. a form of courteous address; lady
   • The Anglo-Saxon version of the story of Apollonius of Tyre

     Đā ġewearþ hit þæt þǣs mǣdenes fōstormōdor intō þām būre ēode, ⁊ ġesēah hī ðār sittan on miċelre ġedrefednesse, ⁊ hire cwæð tō, "Hwiġ eart þū hlæfdiġe swā ġedrefedes mōdes?"

     It happened that the girl's foster mother came into the room and saw her sitting full of confusion, and said to her "Lady, why are you so troubled of mind?."

4. the Virgin Mary

• As feminine equivalents of æþeling, eorl, and þeġn never developed, this was generally the title given to every noblewoman from the rank of baroness to princess.

Weak feminine (n-stem):

• Middle English: lady, laddy, ladi, ladie, ladij, ladye, lavedi, lefdi, lefdy, levedi, levedy, lhevedi, lafdi, laffdiȝ, læfdi, lævedi, leafdi (Early Middle English)
  • English: lady (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: lady, leddy
  • Yola: laady
  • → Icelandic: lafði