Merewioing

Old English

Etymology

Related to Medieval Latin Merovingus, ultimately from Frankish *Mārīwīg + *-ing. This word appears in the Beowulf manuscript as three separate words mere wio ingas, which is taken by scholars to indicate that the scribe who copied the poem did not recognize the word.

Proper noun

Merewīoing m (genitive Merewīoingas)

  1. (hapax legomenon) the Meroving, the Merovingian king
    • Anonymous, Beowulf 2920b–2921
      Ūs wæs ā syððan
      Merewīoingas · milts unġyfeðe.
      Ever thereafter was the Merovingian king’s grace denied us.

Usage notes

  • Only attested in the genitive singular,[1] but as a masculine a-stem the nominative is uncontroversial.

References

  1. ^ R.D. Fulk, Robert E. Bjork, John D. Niles, editors (2008), “X. Language and Poetic Form”, in Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg, 4th edition, page cxli
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