Ealdorman (plural ealdormen) is an Old English word for a senior nobleman.
In Anglo-Saxon England it was used to translate Latin titles such as dux (from which the late title duke), comes (later count), praefectus (prefect), and princeps (prince). The sense conveyed by the term may have varied over time and geographically across the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England
The best known use of the title is in later Anglo-Saxon England, and in particular in Wessex. Here, an ealdorman was appointed for each shire
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References edit
- PASE
- Blair, Peter Hunter, Introduction
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