Etymology

headling

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Today it means: An equal; a fellow; mate. Full definition →

Middle English hedling ← Old English hēafodling
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headling · noun1

  1. Old English · inherited fromhēafodling“an equal, fellow-servant”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromhedling
  3. English todayheadling

From Middle English hedling, hevedling, from Old English hēafodling (“an equal, fellow-servant”), equivalent to head + -ling. Cognate with German Häuptling (“chief, chieftain”). Piecewise doublet of chefling and chiefling.

headling · adverb2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromhedling
  2. English todayheadling

From Middle English hedling, heedling, hevedlynge (“headlong”), equivalent to head + -ling. Cognate with Scots heidlingis (“headlong”), Middle High German houbetlingen (“headlong”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.