middangeard

Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *midjagardaz, equivalent to midd (mid, middle) +‎ ġeard (yard; enclosed land; realm), although the second element's confusion or conflation with eard (earth) has occurred since Old English. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (middle) and *gʰórdʰos (enclosure). Cognate with Old Saxon middilgard, Old High German mittilgart and mittangart, Old Norse Miðgarðr, Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 (midjungards).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmid.dɑnˌjæ͜ɑrd/, [ˈmid.dɑnˌjæ͜ɑrˠd]

Noun

middanġeard m

  1. the world
    • 10th century, The Wanderer:
      [] mōdġe maguþeġnas. · Swā þēs middanġeard
      ealra dōgra ġehwām · drēoseð ond fealleþ,
      brave warriors. Thus this world
      perishes and falls every single day

Usage notes

  • Typically used without the word for "the": Hē rīcsode ofer ealne middanġeard ("He ruled over all the world"). However, it is commonly used with the word for "this": Hū fela manna wuniaþ on þissum middanġearde? ("How many people live in this world?").

Declension

Strong a-stem:

singular plural
nominative middanġeard
accusative middanġeard
genitive middanġeardes
dative middanġearde

Synonyms

Descendants

  • Middle English: middenerd, middæneard, middeneard, middenerde, middenard
  • Middle English: myddyl erthe, middel-erde (in part)