Ealdor

According to the Old English Dictionary:

ealdor

Dele bracket at end, and add: I. one occupying a position of superiority. (1) of human beings, (a) one (man or woman) having authority over others, (α) of public authority :-- Manna ealdor tribunus, þúsendes ealdor ciliarcus, fíftiga ealdor quinquagenarius, fíf hund cempena ealdor cohors, Wrt. Voc. i. 18, 8, 10, 13, 14. Ic eom ealdor and látteów Drihtnes heres sum princeps exercitus Domini, Jos. 5, 14. Genealǽhte án ealdor (princeps), Mt. 9, 18. Æþeréd Myrcena ealdor (cf. Æþeréd ealdormon, 894; P. 87, 14), Chr. 910; P. 95, 4. Ðá wæs hyre gecýd þe ðár ealdor wæs, Ap. Th. 23, 11. Ealdre tribuno, An. Ox.2523: chiliarco, 2, 379. Ealdor monarchum, i. dominatorem, 3906. Aldur dictatorem, Wrt. Voc. ii. 106, 15. On Iuda ealdrum in principibus Iuda, Mt. 2, 6. (β) of domestic authority, head of a household (applied to man or woman) :-- Sarai ... is gereht, 'Min ealdor,' ac God hí hét syððan Sarra, þæt is, 'Ealdor,' þæt heó nǽre synderlíce hire hírédes ealdor gecíged, -ac forðrihte 'Ealdor,' þæt is tó understandenne ealra gelýfedra wífa móder, Hml. Th. i. 92, 16-20. (γ) of marital authority :-- Bútan þám wífe, forþon heó sceal hire ealdore (ealdre, hláforde, ) hiéran, Ll. Th. i. 138, 18. (δ) of ecclesiastical authority :-- Se ealdor (aldor. L.) þǽra sácerda princeps sacerdotum, Mt. 26, 62. Hé wæs mænig geár ealdor þæs mynstres annis multis monasterio praefuit, Gr. D. 96, 9. Geworhtum beácne fram þám ealdre facto signo a priore, R. Ben. 46, 3. Sýn þá ealdras (decani) swylce gecorene, þæt se abbod his byrðenna on hý tódǽlan mæge, 12. Gesetton cyricena aldoras ꝥ fæsten, Bl. H. 35, 7. Sume men forhogiað ꝥ hí hýran godcundan ealdran, Ll. Th. i. 332, 34. Ealderas seniores, R. Ben. 18, 23. (b) an authority, a master in a subject, one having superior knowledge :-- Þysse wyrte onfundelnysse manega ealdras geséðað, Lch. i. 140, 10. (2) of superhuman beings :-- On þone aldor deófla. Bl. H. 83, 23. Gehýrstú, úre aldor?, 85, 18, 29. Þæt dǽra ðeóstra ealdras mé ne geméton, Hml. Th. i. 76, 4. (3) of things, the chief, principal of its kind, head :-- Seó Níl is ealdor fallicra (ful- ?) eá Nilus est capud fluuiorum. Nar. 35, 19. II. a parent, v. ealdor-leás orphan :-- Cóm ǽrest Cam in síðian, eafora Nóes, þǽr his aldor læg, Gen. 1578. Þín aldor thy father, Dan. 754. Se ǽresta ealdor þisses menniscan cynnes Adam, Bl. H. 23, 4. Eardcundes aldores terreni parentis, Rtl. 33, 36. III. an author, source :-- Hé Martinum wurðode, for þan ðe hé wæs ealdor his hǽle, Hml. S. 31, 526. III a. a primitive, that from which something is derived :-- Rex cyning is frumcenned nama, and regalis cymð of þám and hæfð ealle þá ðing þe his ealdor hæfð, Ælfc. Gr. Z. 245, 4. [v. N.E.D. alder. O. Frs. alder parent.] v. bisceop-, burg-, camp-, dryht-, heáh-, teóþung-ealdor, and cpds. with ealdor-. ealdor

Related words: ll.