hæþen
The Old English word for "heathen" is hæþen.
hæþen is a noun referring to a person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion.
Meaning: person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion (noun)
Which one should you use?
The noun form is hæþen, while the related adjective form used to describe someone not adhering to an Abrahamic religion is hǣþen.
Related words
Did you know?
- There is a strange connection between the roots of 'heathen' and the word 'honour'. In Old Norse, the related word heiður refers to 'bright weather', a distant cousin to the term for a non-believer.
- The Old English word hæþen might be a linguistic 'mistake' or a merger. It likely combined a Germanic word for 'wild land' with the Greek word éthnos, which means 'nation'.
- In Gothic, the ancestor language to Old English, the word for 'gentile' was haiþns. This shows that early Germanic speakers used the term to distinguish between their own community and others.
Examples in context
- Se hæþen wunaþ on þām wealde.The heathen lives in the forest.
- Hīe syndon hēafodmannas and hæþenas.They are leaders and heathens.
Example conversation
Two people discuss a traveler from a foreign land.
- EadgythIs se mann hæþen?Is that man a heathen?
- GodricĠēa, hē is hæþen.Yes, he is a heathen.
- EadgythWē sculon hine þone ġelēafan lǣran.We must teach him the faith.
- GodricIċ wille þē helpan, Ēadġȳþ.I will help you, Eadgyth.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hæþen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
