ᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ

Proto-Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *erlaz.

Noun

ᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (erilaʀ) m

1. The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
   1. earl
   2. noble
   3. magician
   4. runemaster
   5. member of the Heruli tribe
   • 6th century, Järsberg Runestone:

     ᛖᚲᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉᚱᚢᚾᛟᛉᚹᚨᚱᛁᛏᚢ
     ekerilaʀrunoʀwaritu

     ek erilaʀ rūnōʀ wᵃrītu

     I, the erilaz, write the runes

Usage notes

• In the Proto-Norse corpus this word commonly appears in connection with Rune-carving.

Descendants

• Old Norse: jarl, ᛁᛅᚱᛚ (iarl)
  • Icelandic: jarl
  • Faroese: jallur
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: jarl
  • Old Swedish: iarl, iærl
    • Swedish: järl
  • Old Danish: ierl
  • → Danish: jarl (reborrowed)
    • Norwegian Bokmål: jarl
  • → English: jarl
  • → Finnish: jaarli
  • → Swedish: jarl (reborrowed)