middaneard

middaneard

Old English

Etymology

From middan- (“middle; amid; between”) + eard; influenced by pre-existing middanġeard.

Noun

middaneard

1. (Late West Saxon) Middle Earth: Earth, the world (especially) conceived as a realm between (Christianity) heaven or (paganism) Asgard and hell or Niflheim.
   • 10th century, "Anglo-Saxon Manual of Astronomy":

     Middaneard is gehaten eall þæt binnan þam firmamentum is.

     All that is within the firmament is called the world.

Synonyms

• middanġeard; eorþ

Descendants

• Middle English: myddyl erthe, middel-erde (in part)
  • English: Middle Earth