Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

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ESNE

  • noun [ masculine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
ESNE, es; m.
Wright's OE grammar
§56; §354;
A man of the servile class, a servant, retainer, man, youth; mercēnārius, servus, vir, jŭvĕnis. The esne was probably a poor freeman from whom a certain portion of labour could be demanded in consideration of his holdings, or a certain rene [gafol, q. v. ] reserved out of the produce of the hives, flocks or herds committed to his care. He was a poor mercenary, serving for hire, or for his land, but was not of so low a rank as the þeów or wealh
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Etymology
[
O. H. Ger. asni, m. mercēnārius:
Goth. asneis, m. a hireling
.]
Derived forms
fyrd-esne
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “ESNE.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/9722.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • ESNE, n.

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