ġetrīewe
In Old English, the phrase for loyal is ġetrīewe. If unsure, use ġetrīewe. Wiktionary also lists trīewe.
Meaning: firm in allegiance to a person or institution (adj)
Ways to say it
| Old English |
|---|
| ġetrīewe |
| trīewe |
Both ġetrīewe and trīewe are used to describe someone or something that is firm in allegiance to a person or an institution.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is rooted in trīewe, which carries the sense of being trustworthy and is related to the concept of truth.
Which one should you use?
ġetrīewe is the strengthened version of the adjective and is used to emphasize the quality of being faithful.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of this concept, meaning truth or faithfulness, is trēow.
Did you know?
- In Old English poetry, the concept of trīewe was often linked to 'comitatus', the sacred bond of loyalty between a warrior and their chief that was considered more important than family ties.
- The word trēow was used in legal contexts as a 'troth', a formal pledge of loyalty or a promise of marriage. This is where we get the phrase 'plight my troth'.
- In Old English, you could be trīewe to a physical object, such as a sword or a shield, if it had never failed you in battle.
Examples in context
- Ic eom trēoweI am loyal
- Hē is trēowHe is loyal
- Wē sind trēoweWe are loyal
- Trēowe þegnLoyal thane
- Hē is ġetrīewe þeġn.He is a loyal thane.
- Sēo cwēn wæs ġetrīewe.She was a loyal queen.
Example conversation
Godric and Mildryth are discussing the character of a local lord.
- GodricIs hē ġetrīewe mann?Is he a loyal man?
- MildrythĠēa, hē is swīðe ġetrīewe.Yes, he is very loyal.
- GodricÞū eart ġetrīewe, Mildryth.You are loyal, Mildryth.
- MildrythIc eom ġetrīewe tō mīnum hlāforde.I am loyal to my lord.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “loyal” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
