eorl
/e͜orl/
The Old English word for 'count' is eorl.
As a verb, eorl is used to describe the action of enumerating or determining a number.
Meaning: to enumerate or determine number (verb)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/eorl/
Did you know?
- In Old English, the concept of a 'count' as a mathematical action and an eorl as a rank are entirely unrelated in their origins.
- While eorl later became a title of nobility, its Proto-Germanic root *erlaz may have originally referred to a free man of lower rank.
- The Old English word eorl is a direct ancestor of the modern English word 'earl'.
Example conversation
Two people are organizing supplies in a storehouse.
- EadgythGodric, can þu eorl þa hlafas?Godric, can you count the loaves?
- GodricGea, ic eorl hie nu.Yes, I am counting them now.
- EadgythHu mani ge eorl þu?How many do you count?
- GodricIc eorl twentig hlafas.I count twenty loaves.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry eorl, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eorl, CC BY-SA 4.0.
