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
- 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
- brave warriors. Thus this world
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)
- English: Middle Earth