Adelig

Adelig is a German adjective meaning noble, of noble birth, or related to the nobility. It can describe a person, a family, or things associated with aristocratic status. The corresponding noun form is das Adelige, referring to the nobility as a social group. In modern usage, adlig is the more common attributive form (eine adlige Familie, adlige Herkunft), while adelig appears primarily in historical, literary, or genealogical contexts and in fixed phrases such as adelig gesinnt.

Etymology and scope: Adelig derives from adel, meaning nobility, with the suffix -ig. The term sits within a family of words that describe social estates and status distinctions that were prominent in German-speaking Europe for centuries.

Historical context: In medieval and early modern Europe, the nobility was a legally recognized estate with special privileges and duties. Noble status was often hereditary, and titles such as Graf (count) or Freiherr (baron) accompanied landholding rights. Over time, many privileges were abolished or reduced, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, nobility in most German-speaking countries does not constitute a legal class; noble titles survive primarily as part of surnames, while “the Adelige” is mainly used in historical discussion, genealogical research, or literary narration.

Usage notes: The term adelig is encountered mainly in historical contexts. In everyday modern German, adlig is the standard adjective for describing noble origin or traits, while the noun form das Adelige refers to the nobility as a collective concept.

See also: Adel, Adelsstand, Adelsfamilie, Graf, Freiherr.