ærlic

ærlic is an archaic English adjective attested in Old English and in some late medieval texts. It is generally glossed as "noble," "honorable," or "distinguished," and it was used to describe people or things regarded as worthy or of high status. The word belongs to the broader Germanic tradition of terms for nobility and virtue.

The etymology of ærlic is uncertain. It appears to combine a root related to noble or ancestral status with the adjectival suffix -lic, meaning "like" or "pertaining to." Some scholars relate it to æthel or eorl vocabulary for nobility, or to a prefix ær- with a sense of antiquity or former standing. Because the form is rare, its precise development remains a matter of conjecture.

In Old English texts, ærlic occurs infrequently and tends to occur in formulaic or honorific contexts. In the transition to Middle English, the form largely disappears from standard usage, being replaced by more common terms for nobility or virtue. Today ærlic is primarily of interest to linguists and students of Old English vocabulary and syntax.

See also: æthel-, eorl, noble, Old English language, Germanic word formation.