erl
Middle English
Alternative forms
- erle, ȝierl
- eerl, erille, eryl, ȝerle, ȝorle, yerl (Late Middle English)
- eorl, url (Southern, West Midland)
Etymology
Inherited from Old English eorl, from Proto-West Germanic *erl, from Proto-Germanic *erlaz; cognate to Old Swedish iærl, Old Danish ierl.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /eːrl/, /ɛːrl/, /ɛrl/
- IPA(key): /jeːrl/, /jɛːrl/ (with prothesis)
- IPA(key): /ˈeːrəl/, /ˈɛːrəl/ (with epenthesis)
Noun
erl (plural erles)
- A great noble subordinate to a king or duke; a count or earl:
- (rare) A partner; one who accompanies another.
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- “ē̆rl, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 30 December 2018.
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *erlaz.
Noun
erl m