jarl

J8A1R1L1
US/jɑɹl̩/UK/jɑːl/

noun

A medieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark.

OriginOld Norse jar ← Proto-Norse ᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (erilaʀ) ← Proto-Germanic *erlaz →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounjarl (plural jarls)

plural jarls

  1. historicalA medieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark.

    There were three kinds of Viking: thralls, karls and jarls. Thralls were the slaves. They were owned by karls and jarls.

    2016, Louise Spilsbury, “Powerful Kings and Suffering Slaves”, in The Vikings: Dig Up the Secrets of the Dead (History Hunters), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Raintree, →ISBN, page 18

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*erlaz
  2. Proto-Norseᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (erilaʀ)
  3. Old Norsejar
  4. Englishjarl

From Old Norse jarl, from Proto-Norse ᛖᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (erilaʀ). Cognates include Old English eorl. Doublet of earl and eorl.

More words from Old Norse, Proto-Norse

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish jarl
  • jarlmedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
Finnish jaarli
  • jaarlimedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
German Jarl
  • Jarlmedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
Icelandic jarl
  • jarlmedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
Norwegian Bokmål jarl
  • jarlmedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
Polish jarl
  • jarlmedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
Russian ярл
  • ярл (jarl)medieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark
Swedish jarl
  • jarlmedieval Scandinavian nobleman, especially in Norway and Denmark

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with jarl

carlkarlmarlsnarlharlasnarlensnarlgnarlyarl
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

jarl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jarl

MLA

“jarl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jarl. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jarl,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jarl.

Source: jarl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.