middelerthe

Middle English

Alternative forms

  • middelerþe, middilerþe, myddelerthe, myddelerþe, myddilerþe
  • medilerthe (Late Middle English)

Etymology

From earlier middelerd, featuring the frequent conflation of erd (“homeland”) with erthe (“earth, Earth”); in turn an alteration of earlier middenerd; from Old English middaneard, in turn an alteration of Old English middanġeard; derived from Proto-Germanic *midjagardaz. Equivalent to middel +‎ erthe.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmidəlˌɛːrð(ə)/, /ˈmidəlˌeːrð(ə)/

Noun

middelerthe (uncountable)

  1. The Earth; the world (as between Heaven and Hell or in the middle of the universe)
  2. The people, things, or trappings of the world.

Descendants

  • English: Middle Earth, middle earth, middle-earth, Middle-earth, Middle-Earth
  • Middle Scots: middilerd, middil erde, middil ȝerd
    • Scots: middle erd, midlert (obsolete)

References

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