Etymology

arval

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Today it means: A funeral feast or wake at which bread and ale was served, traditional in Scotland, the North of England, and among the Norse. Full definition →

Middle English arvell ← Old Norse erfiǫl
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The story

  1. Old Norsearfr
  2. Old Norseöl
  3. Old Norseerfiǫl
  4. Middle Englisharvell
  5. English todayarval

From Middle English arvell, from Old Norse erfiǫl (“a funeral feast”), from arfr (“inheritance”) + öl (“ale”). Cognate with Danish arveøl (“a wake, funeral feast”). More at erf, ale.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.