heofonrice

Old English

Alternative forms

• hefenrīċe, hefonrīċe, heofenrīċe
• hefenerīċe, heofenerīċe, heofonerīċe — from an inflected form or weak heofone
• heofonarīċe — reflecting the genitive plural; cf. Latin caelōrum in regnum caelōrum

Etymology

Equivalent to heofon +‎ rīċe, possibly as a calque of Latin regnum caelōrum. Cognate with Old Saxon hevanrīki, Old High German himilrīhhi (German Himmelreich), Old Norse himinnrīki (Danish himmerige).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxe͜o.fonˌriː.t͡ʃe/, [ˈhe͜o.vonˌriː.t͡ʃe]

Noun

heofonrīċe n

1. kingdom of heaven

Declension

Declension of heofonrice (strong ja-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	heofonrīċe	heofonrīcu
accusative	heofonrīċe	heofonrīcu
genitive	heofonrīċes	heofonrīca
dative	heofonrīċe	heofonrīcum

Descendants

• Middle English: heveneriche, hevene riche, hevene-riche, hevene-ryche, heven riche, hevenryche, heven-ryche, heveryche, hevynryche; heofennriche, heofenrice, heoveriche, hevenrice, heveriche (Early Middle English); heveneryke, heven rike, hevenryke, heven-ryke, hevin-rike, heyven-rike (Northern)
• →? Old Saxon: hevanrīki, hebanrīki, hebenrīki, heƀanrīki (calque)

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “heofonríce”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.